“I am in awe of you—of what it means to carry the hopes, dreams, expectations, and life savings of generations of your family on your shoulders. To come here bravely, to flourish, to find the ways to—through hard work, discipline, and courage—make such a difference in the world,” Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham, said to the students in a video message. “And I also want to share with you incredible gratitude to your families, for the kind of hard work, courage, and generations of striving it takes to get you to this place.”
Students from both campuses were honored at the third annual celebration, where they received “I’m First” pins to wear on their robes at Commencement. In just one week, they will join the ranks of alumni like finance mogul Mario Gabelli and award-winning actor Denzel Washington, who were first-generation college students themselves, said President Tetlow.
Among this year’s graduating seniors is Juan Rodriguez, who was born and raised in the Bronx. His father, a former construction worker, attended school until sixth grade in his native Ecuador. His mother, who served food at shelters and homes for the elderly, attended school until third grade in the Dominican Republic.
“They don’t entirely understand the concept of college, but they understand the value of a degree. They’re happy for me, and they know it’s something impactful and meaningful that I can leverage in my life,” said Rodriguez, a finance student at the Gabelli School of Business who will be the first among his three siblings to graduate from college.
Rodriguez said that Fordham has given him opportunities, including a finance internship, thanks to the Gabelli Personal and Professional Development Center; a community in the student wrestling club; and mentorship from many advisors, including Marisa Villani, senior assistant dean for undergraduate studies at Gabelli; Elizabeth Parr, assistant dean for first-year students at Gabelli, and Maria Totino, senior executive secretary in the modern languages and literatures department.
After graduation, he will work as an operations associate at Zeta Charter Schools in New York City, where he will work on budgeting, funding, and building maintenance.
“A lot of people helped pave the way for me,” said Rodriguez, a student in the Higher Education Opportunity Program who commuted to campus for three years. “As a first-generation college student, I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about certain industries. It helped to have the backbone of the Fordham community.”
The first-generation college student graduation celebration was sponsored by First Gen Network; the dean’s offices of the Gabelli School of Business, Fordham College at Rose Hill, and Fordham College at Lincoln Center; the Office of the Chief Diversity Officer; and Development and Alumni Relations.
]]>Organized by Marisa Villani, senior assistant dean for undergraduate studies at the Gabelli School of Business; Tracyann F. Williams, Ph.D., assistant dean for student support and success at Fordham College at Lincoln Center; and Christie-Belle Garcia, Ph.D., assistant dean for student support and success at Fordham College at Rose Hill, the event included more than a dozen graduating seniors from Fordham’s new First Gen Network.
Seniors Leslie Ann Abreu and Qi Di Zhang kicked off the ceremony with a heartfelt thank-you to attendees—“the people who have formed networks of support for first-generation graduating students”—before introducing keynote speaker Adrienne Boykin, a 2009 Gabelli graduate and a member of Fordham’s Multicultural Organization Supporting Alumni Initiatives and Community (MOSAIC) affinity chapter.
“This is truly a moment to celebrate for both you and your families because we know, as first-generation college students, we are not only celebrating for ourselves, but we’re also celebrating on behalf of our families and our communities,” Boykin said.
After studying accounting at Fordham, Boykin earned an M.B.A. from Mount Saint Mary College. In 2014, she “came full circle” when she joined America Needs You, a nonprofit offering mentoring and career development support to first-generation college students. She’s currently the organization’s chief financial officer.
Boykin encouraged graduating seniors to celebrate their achievement and take a minute to reflect on their college journey, especially times when they may have felt impostor syndrome.
“With the support of your family, your friends, and the Fordham community, you remembered that you actually earned your spot at Fordham, that you belong, and that you are paving the way for not only yourself but for future generations to go to college and to graduate,” she said. “The perseverance and strength that you have [shown] all of these years led you to today.”
Boykin imparted three tidbits of wisdom: “Impostor syndrome will continue to present itself in your life; however, you can and will get through it. Mentorship matters. And keep an open mind during life’s journey.”
Following Boykin’s address, each student’s name was called, and they received a commemorative pin. The ceremony also included a champagne toast.
A handful of alumni were also in attendance. As first-generation grads themselves, they offered advice and shared tips they’ve picked up in the years since they graduated from Fordham.
Marcella T. Barry, FCRH ’92, GSE ’96, vice chair of the President’s Council— a group of successful professionals and philanthropists committed to mentoring Fordham’s future leaders—encouraged students to stay connected to Fordham after graduating, and to “wave their first-gen flag” whenever possible.
“You do belong here because you worked really hard,” said Barry, the chief people officer at Jitjatjo, a staffing marketplace and workforce management platform. “Embrace it, and don’t hide it. Talk about it. It defines who you are, and in life, it’s those stories that are really important to tell.”
Jason Caldwell, GABELLI ’10, ’17, GSAS ’11, a vice president at Goldman Sachs and another President’s Council member, had an informal chat with the soon-to-be graduates during the reception. He gave them his contact info—and urged them to use it.
“Because Fordham has been so generous to me, I feel like it’s my duty to do the same,” he said, sharing that every position he’s held since graduating has been due to his Fordham connections.
“If someone ever tells you that they’re willing to help you and to give them a call or reach out, take them up on it,” Caldwell said. “That’s the only way that you can get ahead and move forward more easily.”
Abreu, a psychology major whose family migrated to the Bronx from the Dominican Republic when she was 13, said she takes pride in being the first college graduate in her family, and in serving as a role model for her little sister and her whole family.
She’s enrolled in the Accelerated Master’s in Teaching Program at Fordham’s Graduate School of Education. After earning her bachelor’s degree this month, she’ll continue working toward a master’s degree specializing in bilingual childhood education.
More than providing her with an education, Fordham has helped Abreu come out of her shell. “When I first came over here, I thought I’d be able to manage without socializing,” she said. “I used to be very introverted, very closed off. It’s been a transitional four years. I was not expecting that I’d be able to really step out of my comfort zone and express all my ideas and perspectives.”
Chantz Kouveras said that although his parents made clear their desire for him to attend college, he wasn’t always sold, instead contemplating some career paths that didn’t require a college degree. But ultimately, he was swayed.
“I wasn’t necessarily seeing the opportunities that college would open up,” said Kouveras, who will earn a bachelor’s degree in political science and classical civilization, and will serve in the National Guard after graduation. “Looking back, I’m grateful because when you’re 18, you have no clue how many doors you’re going to be closing to yourself if you don’t take certain opportunities.”
One of the most surprising things about college, Kouveras said, was how much he had to figure out for himself, such as housing registration; luckily his friends and the Fordham community helped him navigate it all.
“There’s a lot that’s just kind of left to you,” he said. “To me, that’s just the college experience: figuring what you have to figure out on your own and building a network to help you out with that stuff.”
Qi Di Zhang, a Long Island native who studied business administration with concentrations in marketing and consulting and a minor in economics, credits Fordham with teaching her balance.
“Being first-gen, I had to figure out how to balance schoolwork, getting a job, socializing, and having time to take care of myself,” she said.
Growing up, Zhang said that attending college was considered “a no-brainer” in her home. Her parents “came to America with the notion that you’re here to have better opportunities, and the first step of that is to get a better education.”
“My mom didn’t finish middle school, and my dad didn’t finish high school. My parents have jobs,” she said, “but they want me to have a career.”
Founded by students last fall, the First Gen Network connects and supports students who are the first in their families to pursue college degrees. Allies of first-generation graduates are welcome.
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The First Gen Network debuted in the fall, founded by students after Fordham administrators held listening sessions last year about first-generation students’ experiences. It’s proving a valuable connection point for students who may arrive at the University less familiar with college life—and college opportunities—because of their family backgrounds.
Jin Lin Chen, a senior in the Gabelli School of Business and one of the founding student members, said she’s excited about the First Gen Network because of the importance of outreach to different social groups at the University to foster diversity and inclusion. “I’m glad I’m leaving the school knowing that this network exists,” she said.
The group held sign-up events at the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses on Nov. 8, celebrated as National First Generation Day since 2017. It happened to be the same day that the University launched a fundraising campaign, Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student, that seeks—among other things—to honor Fordham’s heritage of welcoming first-generation students by ensuring that the University is accessible to them and to students of other diverse backgrounds.
The network has generated strong interest; Alexa Stegmuller, a second-year Fordham College at Lincoln Center student and another founding member, estimated that more than 200 people have joined its email list. For its next event, the group is hosting a spring mixer on March 25 at the new campus center at Rose Hill.
The group welcomes all students, not only those who are first-generation, as well as administrators and faculty. On Nov. 29, the First Gen Network and the Diversity Action Coalition held a panel discussion that included professors who were first-generation students themselves.
Nicole Varela, a first-year Fordham College at Lincoln Center student, joined the group at its Nov. 8 event. Her parents both attended college in El Salvador but never finished. She benefited from having seen her older brother apply to college—after he was able to find help from people who knew the process.
“SATs, ACTs, college essays—I feel like people who know a lot more about that have an advantage,” she said.
Stegmuller noted that many first-generation students have to overcome the inclination to do everything themselves, since that’s what they’re used to.
Seeing a professor during office hours, asking a dean for help, checking in with a counselor—these things can feel weird for first-generation students, she said. She recalled a professor handing out a syllabus in one of her classes and seeing that it had a listing of student support services—three pages’ worth.
“I didn’t expect that of a college coming in, just because I didn’t really have an idea of what college was until I got here,” she said. “There are so many people here wanting to help.”
In high school, her friends tended to know the college application process “inside and out, basically,” because their parents or siblings had gone to college, she said.
“It’s daunting to like be like, ‘I think I need to ask for help,’ or ‘I’m really not sure, I don’t know what a FAFSA is,’ that sort of thing,” she said, referring to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
The application process was hard for her and her parents—“they didn’t really go through that experience,” she said. “It was a learning experience for all three of us.”
She and Jin Lin Chen said scholarships and financial aid made all the difference in helping them enroll at Fordham. Stegmuller received a Jogues Scholarship and a need-based grant from the University. Jin Lin Chen received a federal Pell Grant in addition to a few different scholarships from Fordham. In addition to helping her pursue her dreams and take advantage of opportunities like studying abroad, “it was a way that I could somehow give back to my parents,” she said.
The aid “helped solidify a lot of the things that they wish for me and … things that I wish for myself,” she said.
Scholarships and financial aid are one priority of the Cura Personalis campaign. Campaign gifts could make a difference for first-generation students in any number of other ways, said Christie-Belle Garcia, assistant dean for student support and success at Fordham College at Rose Hill.
They could provide funding for travel to conferences, for instance, or stipends for unpaid internships, or the creation of a summer bridge program that helps incoming first-generation students familiarize themselves with Fordham and the college experience, she said.
Garcia helped launch the First Gen Network along with Tracyann Williams and Marisa Villani, her counterparts at Fordham College at Lincoln Center and the Gabelli School of Business, respectively.
“It started organically, because we were hearing from students that there was a need,” Villani said. They held a few listening tours via Zoom, and then students took the lead in launching the group.
“We work with them closely, and at the same time we want to make sure that the ideas are coming from them,” Williams said. “Because they are amazing.”
Patrick Verel contributed reporting.
The First Gen Network welcomes members of the Fordham community who are first-generation students as well as those who wish to support them. See here for more information about the group or send an email to [email protected].
To inquire about giving in support of first-generation students or to meet other needs at the University, please contact Michael Boyd, senior associate vice president for development and university relations, at 212-636-6525 or [email protected]. Learn more about Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student, a campaign to reinvest in every aspect of the Fordham student experience.
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