Community members socialize at last year's First-Generation College Celebration Week. (Photo by Jeff Carrion/DePaul University)
Navigating university life can be intimidating for first-generation college students. Finding classrooms, figuring out how financial aid works and planning an effective academic plan are all aspects of university life with which students and families might struggle.
For this reason, Ashley Williams, DePaul’s director of student success initiatives in Student Affairs, dedicates her career to not only supporting first-generation students, but uplifting them. Inspired by her own experience as a first-generation college student, Williams supports everything from Chicago Quarter classes to DePaul’s STARS program, which pairs first-time students with mentors to help them adjust to university life at DePaul.
Another aspect of her job is to collaborate every November with DePaul students to bring the celebratory first-generation college student week to life. The festive week is in tandem with the National First-Generation College Celebration which happens each Nov. 8. Activities include breakfast gatherings for first-generation students, faculty and staff, self-care workshops and more.
“Students are heavily involved in planning first-generation college students' week,” Williams says. “We don’t want to do the work without them. They do everything from designing marketing and promo materials to curating many events and spreading the awareness across campus as well.”
First-generation student Victoria Gomez-Meza is an integral part of planning FGCC week with Williams. She helped establish the First-Gen DePaul Student Organization and has been the senator for first-generation students in DePaul’s Student Government Association for two years. Gomez-Meza has led many initiatives including t-shirt design and co-hosting parties for FGCC week.
“I wanted to integrate my first-generation identity on campus, which led me to working with students in creating the First-Gen DePaul Student Organization,” Gomez-Meza says. “We work to build community among first-generation students all year long, not just during this celebratory week.”
In the Office of Multicultural Student Success, Williams supports similar goals, promoting hypervisibility, accessibility and affinity within DePaul.
Ashley Williams is the director of student success initiatives in Student Affairs. (Photo by Keeton Holder/DePaul University)“Our mission at DePaul calls for us to meet students at the margins and find out who is most in need,” Williams says. “It is not a deficit-based approach, though. We are here to leverage the strengths and skills they already possess.”
Both Gomez-Meza and Williams highlight the importance of helping first-generation students build affinity for DePaul through community engagement.
“Working with other students is important because we all come from different backgrounds and are able to work together and build a successful future for ourselves,” Gomez-Meza says. “This is something we should celebrate all the time at DePaul because first-generation students have so much dedication to their goals and success.”
The accessibility of both student-led and university-led organizations reflects Williams’ emphasis on community-building as a catalyst to strengthen affinity and pride for DePaul within first-generation students. She says students may resonate with alumni, first-generation staff and faculty and current students.
“We really emphasize the importance of having a sense of belonging to their first-generation identity and the institution,” Williams says. “Making sure students have that connection enhances their affinity for DePaul and produces great scholars and graduates.”
Students like Gomez-Meza reflect Williams' passion for multicultural student success not only within the first-generation community, but outside of it too. She says she would love first-generation students to feel seen, heard and connected to the university through allies as well. For this reason, FGCC week is open to all students and Williams encourages anyone to attend.
“Multicultural student success is a passion of mine because I am a living example of being a first-generation student,” Williams says. “I always remember the pride I had during college, and I want to foster that for our first-gen students. It speaks to the mission of DePaul to do good work, reach out to underrepresented students and support knowledge, strength and resilience.”
Students can keep up to date with DePaul’s FGCC week events on DeHub. Find more information about first-generation student success resources here.