WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:
Share your plans with us!
If you are making First-Generation Celebration plans, please share them with us so we can add them to the all-University event list below. By completing our collaboration form, we will share the details of your Celebration plans on our website and promote them during our HUB Party on November 8.
Share Your First-Generation Story!
We invite faculty, staff, alumni, and students to share their first-generation stories. Leading up to and during the November 8 Celebration, stories of success, resilience, and growth will be highlighted through the Student Success Center and First-Gen Advocate's Instagram accounts (@psu_success) and (@firstgenadvocates).
Use our official Penn State First-Generation Celebration Graphics:
First-Generation Celebration Day Zoom Backgrounds
First-Generation Marketing Graphics
Attend one or more of the events listed below:
SSC & FGA Sponsored Events:
(event flyer)
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. - HUB Party (Lower Level Stage Area)
Celebrate being #PSUFirstGen with food, activities, giveaways, and prizes. There will be opportunities to meet the Student Success Center team and members of the First-Gen Advocates (FGA) student organization to find out how to support or join Penn State’s first-generation community.
6 p.m. to 8 p.m. - First-Gen Community Night (HUB 008, Lion's Lair)
Join first-gen students, faculty, staff, and alumni for a mixer with free food, guest speakers, networking, and awesome door prizes. This event will be hosted by the Student Success Center, FGA, and the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. Stay tuned for more details, including a list of featured organizations and VIPs!
Save your spot at the Community Night and RSVP today.
VIP Speakers:
Dr. Margo Dellicarpini, Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses and Executive Chancellor
Dr. Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts; Professor of African American Studies
Dr. Felisa Higgins, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Clinical Professor of Supply Chain Management
Partner Orgs:
Adult Learners Student Org, Black Caucus, Latino Caucus, Lion Caucus and UPUA
Follow #PSUFirstGen on socials to stay up to date on all Celebration-related news and stories.
Other Events AT University Park:
Keep checking this page ahead of November 8 for updated details of events happening at University Park. Click here to reference the variety of events that were hosted on campus in 2022.
Monday, Nov, 6
College of Education
9 a.m. to 12 p.m. - First-Gen Visibility
First-Gen students, faculty, and staff are welcome to stop by the Chambers building to add their name to a First-Gen wall. Visit the table across from the Office of Education and Social Equity (room 123).
Tuesday, Nov. 7
College of the Liberal Arts
Chaiken Center for Student Success
6 p.m. to 8 p.m. - Sip (Cider) and Paint, 139 Sparks Building
Stop by the Chaiken Center to meet other first-generation Liberal Arts students and paint a portrait of why you are proud to be a first-gen student.
Wednesday, Nov. 8 - National College Celebration Day!
College of Agricultural Sciences
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. - FREE Creamery, Coffee, Cocoa, and Cookies with the College of Ag Sciences!
Join us to celebrate first-generation students with free Creamery goodies. Chef Freddie will be stopping by from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
College of Education
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. - First-Gen Visibility
First-Gen students, faculty, and staff are welcome to stop by the Chambers building to add their name to a First-Gen wall. Visit the table across from the Office of Education and Social Equity (room 123).
College of Health and Human Development
3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. - An Introduction to Research for First-Generation College Students, 110 Henderson
As a part of Penn State's First-Generation Student Celebration, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and Center for Student Advising and Engagement in the College of Health and Human Development are excited to host the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships for an introduction to their services and overview of research at Penn State. Students will be able to learn about research opportunities, the McNair Scholars Program, and more!
College of Information Sciences and Technology
Noon to 1:00 p.m. - IST Identity Talks - First-Generation
Join IST alumni as they share their diverse experiences and perspectives gained through their educational and professional journeys. Learn from the challenges and opportunities faced by these individuals from underrepresented backgrounds as they navigate the college experience and work to advance their careers and grow their professional networks. This event aims to inspire an open dialogue for students and alumni and provide unique viewpoints to help all attendees be better prepared to thrive in diverse professional and personal communities. Meet College of IST alumni in this panel discussion about First-Generation They will share their journey from student through to their careers, how being first-generation impacted that journey, and about their current positions. https://ist.psu.edu/about/diversity/identity-talks
Eberly College of Science
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Being a First-Generation Med Track Student and Panel, 102 Chemistry Building and on Zoom
Hosted by the prehealth advising team, this event will highlight the strengths that first-generation students bring to their pursuits of a healthcare career along with the common challenges and some resources to support them; a visit from Dr. Bernadette Gilbert to share her background as a first-generation student who become a family medicine physician and administrator at Penn State College of Medicine; and a panel of several current Penn State College of Medicine students who are leaders in the First-Generation in Medicine organization.
Thursday, Nov. 9
College of the Liberal Arts
Chaiken Center for Student Success
Share Your First-Generation Stories
Swing by 139 Sparks Building to share your first-gen story!
Commonwealth Campus Events:
Keep an eye on this page for updated details of events happening across Penn State's Commonwealth Campuses. Click here to reference the variety of events that were hosted across the Commonwealth and through the World Campus in 2022.
ABINGTON
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Lubert Commons
Join the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to celebrate all first-generation students, faculty, and staff! We will be announcing the Outstanding Student & Mentor awards, as well as taking our annual Lion Shrine photo.
ALTOONA
Wednesday, Nov. 8, Noon
Student Success Center
Altoona's new Student Success Center is hosting a lunchtime social for the National First-Generation Celebration Day! Join us at noon for networking, a free mac-and-cheese bar, and giveaways, all while celebrating what it means to be #PSUFirstGen.
HARRISBURG
Friday, Nov. 3, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
"Chat Now, Chew Later! Welcome First-Gen Students" in Olmsted W107 Gallery Lounge
Come learn about what it means to be a first-generation college student while enjoying a free meal!
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Olmsted Atrium
Meet with offices from around campus who are invested in supporting first-generation student success. And get free swag and treats!
National Event(S):
This year's national event, hosted by NASPA's Center for First-Generation Student Success and the Council for Opportunity in Education, focuses on first-gen college students' career trajectories by featuring a panel of first-gen graduates who have ascended into senior leader roles in some of the world's most recognizable companies. Panelists from Disney, Sony, Major League Baseball, and Comcast will discuss their academic and professional journeys and how they create opportunities for future first-gen leaders within their professional networks. The free virtual event will be broadcast twice:
ABOUT:
On and surrounding November 8, Penn State joins colleges and universities across the nation in recognizing the National First-Generation College Celebration. National First-Generation College Celebration Day aims to build community, raise awareness about the first-generation experience, and uplift the voices of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who were or will be the first in their immediate families to achieve a college degree. This year's Celebration will mark Penn State’s fourth consecutive year promoting University-wide events and recognition opportunities for our first-gen community.
The Student Success Center (SSC) and First-Gen Advocates (FGA) will be hosting two events on Wednesday, November 8. You will find the details of these events, as well as numerous other celebrations and presentations happening across the Commonwealth, provided below.