First-gen students sign photo release forms for their photos to be put on display on the second floor of the Student Center. Shelby Beaty | Washtenaw Voice
by RUBY GO
Staff Writer
WCC took part in a nationwide celebration to honor the accomplishments of first-generation college students.
First-Generation College Student Day was celebrated on Nov. 8 on the first floor of the Student Center. Hosted by the WCC Office of Diversity and Inclusion, this was the third time the college has celebrated the annual event, according to Christina Do, Student Equity and Inclusion Coordinator.
“It’s great that we get to bring this event to campus,” Do said.
White buttons with the words “FIRST to graduate” were given to first-gen students, and dark green buttons that read “NEXT to graduate” were given to continuing-gen students. Shelby Beaty | Washtenaw Voice
Anyone (including staff and faculty) passing by that identified themselves as a first-generation college student was offered a free dark-green WCC T-shirt and a white button that read “FIRST to graduate.” Additionally, students had the opportunity to get their photos taken to be later displayed on the second floor of the Student Center.
Christina Do, coordinator of Student Equity and Inclusion, uses a Polaroid camera to take pictures of first-gen students. Shelby Beaty | Washtenaw Voice
Those who identified as first-gen students were also able to share a few of their experiences in an online form sent out about a week before the event. Responses were compiled into a slideshow that played on a monitor, looped throughout the event. Among those who submitted a response was Dan Lor, who put his college education on hold to pay for his younger brother’s tuition.
“I started at community college studying electronics but left a year later when my younger brother wanted to go to school,” Lor wrote in his response.
Lor’s parents, Hmong refugees from Laos and Thailand, divorced when he was 16. As a result, Lor took on a fatherly role for his younger siblings. His younger brother graduated from college three years ago, and with the encouragement of his wife, Lor decided to finish what he started.
“The path may be a little different, but the destination is the same,” Lor wrote.
Another student who responded was Terry Penird, who also came to campus to check out the event. Penird, 58, originally began studying at WCC in 1996 but had to drop out due to personal reasons. Her father did not get past the eighth grade. Instead, he spent the rest of his youth working with his family as a dairy farmer. Her mother graduated from high school and went straight into the workforce, but she soon became a housewife after marrying Penird’s father.
“Sounds like the 1800s, but it wasn’t,” Penird said.
Penird returned to WCC a few years ago and recently completed an entrepreneurship certificate. She is in the final stages of obtaining an associate’s degree in general studies. She plans to graduate in May 2022 and start her own business in plasma cutting alongside her husband, WCC advanced manufacturing instructor Tom Penird.
“It’s been a long road, but it’s worth it. It’s a great accomplishment for me,” Penird said.
What is a first-generation college student?
Buttons and informational handouts about first-gen students were set up on a table. Shelby Beaty | Washtenaw Voice
If you’re unsure if you qualify as a first-gen student — or if you’re just confused about the term in general — you’re not alone.
The working definition of a first-generation college student is “an undergraduate whose parents do not have a bachelor’s or higher degree,” according to handouts from firstgen.naspa.org that were passed out at the event. Over half of first-gen students are also the first of their siblings to seek higher education.
“It’s important to celebrate this event because it helps shed light on some specific issues that first-gen students face,” Do said.
In their freshman year of college, first-gen students are more likely to use financial aid services than continuing-generation students (students who have at least one parent with a bachelor’s degree or higher), according to information in the handouts. However, first-gen students are also less likely to use other student support services such as academic advising and career services.
Do also pointed to another concern: compared to other students, first-gen students may not be as familiar with specific academic jargon, such as office hours.
“There’s a TED Talk about it… an instructor was like ‘hey, my office hours are at these days and these times,’ but some students weren’t showing up,” Do said.
It turned out that those students weren’t showing up because they thought that “office hours” were the instructor’s designated time to work alone in their office. Do cites this example to encourage first-gen students who are feeling confused to reach out to someone.
“There’s so many great resources at WCC, but it can be hard to communicate them… if you need help but don’t know who to talk to, it’s OK,” Do said. “I would just say to talk to somebody, whether it’s an instructor, another student, or whoever. If you talk to somebody, they should be able to point you in the right direction.”
