First Gen Students Matter

By Nefertiti Nzameyo | Published April 18, 2024

The rainfall that pooled on Kean University’s Union campus grounds was no match for the attendees ready to network the night away.

Students, alums, and staff gathered at Kean Hall, Room 127, on Wednesday, April 3rd, for the First Generation Alumni & Student Networking Event, a host collaboration of the Office of Student Retention and Educational Innovation, Career Services, Alumni Engagement, and Student Alumni Association. The event was the first of its kind. 

“I thought it would be nice to just bring in a group of alumni who are first-gen to talk to students who are also first-gen, which we’ve never done before,” said Viviana Zambrano. “So I reached out, and I said let’s collaborate on having an event that really speaks to career and education, and all of those things that you normally talk about in a networking event, opportunities, and mentorship, but from a first gen lens.”

Zambrano is the director of the Office of Student Retention and Educational Innovation, a branch of the Division of Student Success and Retention. They work with all Kean students and focus on specific populations that are disadvantaged and more vulnerable to wading through the college sphere, an event that first-generation students know like the back of their hand, including Zambrano.

“We do our best to try to connect the dots. It’s a big university, and sometimes students don’t know all the resources that exist or the person they need to talk to,” said Zambrano. “Most first-gen students don’t know what [they] don’t know. If you don’t know something exists, you’re never going to tap into that resource.”

The event was an environment where the first-generation attendees felt at ease identifying as a first-generation, feeling seen, and vocalizing their worries with people who wholeheartedly understood.

“One thing is that you don’t have to do it alone,” said Adour’e Mitchell-Williams, a freshman majoring in psychology.

Mitchell-Williams reveals how she and others alike were unaware of being a part of the first-generation community until recently, and takes pride in holding the title. The representation at the event inspired her to hope for the day she could return to the university and give back as an alumnus.

“That representation is so important,” said Zambrano. “We have a lot of first-gen faculty and staff. Our President is first-gen, the vice President of this division, Dr. Harmon-Francis, she’s first-gen, and our senior vice President, Katherine Gallagher, she’s first-gen. I can go down a list.” 

In the process of organizing the event, Zambrano and her colleagues envisioned the alumni  sharing their college experiences of what helped them along the road to get their diplomas, how to seek mentorship, the significance of internships and fellowships, campus involvement, or what they wished they did. They also considered expansion by launching a mentoring program in the fall semester, connecting first-generation students with first-generation staff, faculty, and alums.

Audrey Irby, a psychology major set to graduate this upcoming May, connected vital takeaways from the event with the advice she casually shares with high schoolers at her workplace. 

“You should never limit yourself because of your language barrier or your background. You should try to do everything you possibly can,” Irby said.

That night marked the debut of the first-generation event, but Zambrano ensured that there was more to come.

“It’s the first time, not the last,” said Zambrano.

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