The University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine) is proud to support, celebrate, and advocate for its first-generation (first-gen) community of over 14,000 students, faculty, and staff. This is why the campus is excited to participate in the annual First-Generation College Celebration. Each year on November 8, the Council for Opportunity in Education, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, and other higher education organizations and institutions across the country join forces for a day-long celebration to recognize first-gen students on the 58th Anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
To expand on this year’s First-Generation College Celebration, UC Irvine First Generation and Student Success Initiatives (SSI) were excited to host the second-ever UC Irvine First-Gen Week from Monday, November 4, to Thursday, November 7, 2024.“This event is an opportunity to celebrate the incredible stories of resiliency and strength exemplified by our first-generation student community at UC Irvine,” explained Joanna Hernandez, SSI Director. “The first-generation experience is multifaceted and unique to each individual’s lived experience, and we are always excited for opportunities to ensure that these experiences are recognized and appreciated.”
Brighitte Preciado, SSI Retention Programs Director, added,
“By expanding the celebration, we hoped to raise awareness. Some students may not be aware they are first-generation or may not be familiar with our programs and services. Furthermore, there are so many skills and experiences unique to this community, and we wanted to make space to recognize, support, and celebrate.”
First-Gen Celebration Kickoff Event
Caption: Alejandra Campoverdi signs a student’s book.
Prior to UC Irvine First-Gen Week, SSI hosted a special event to kick off the celebration. On October 30, the campus welcomed author Alejandra Campoverdi for a talk and book signing of First Gen: A Memoir. In this memoir, Alejandra traces her trajectory as a Mexican-American woman raised by an immigrant single mother in Los Angeles. Foregoing the tidy bullet points of her resume, she offers a powerful testimony that shatters the one-dimensional, glossy narrative of what it takes to achieve the American Dream. Alejandra draws from her own experiences to name and frame the challenges First and Onlys often face, illuminating a road to truth, healing, and change in the process.
Open to the entire UC Irvine campus community, the first 150 students and 50 faculty and/or staff members to attend this event received a free copy of Alejandra’s best-selling book. Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to connect with Alejandra and each other at the reception that concluded the event.
First-Gen Week Events
Day 1: November 4, 2024
UC Irvine First-Gen Week officially began the morning of November 4 with the First-Gen Day Celebration Tabling. This event saw SSI staff spreading awareness for the upcoming First-Gen Day as well as providing information on SSI and the Transfer Student Center, other First-Gen Week activities and resources.
In the afternoon, SSI partnered with the UC Irvine ANTrepreneur Center to host a First-Gen Ideation Workshop where first-gen students were invited to explore what it means to become an entrepreneur by thinking creatively about how to solve real-world problems. Attendees then had the chance to practice their public speaking skills by participating in a fun Shark Tank simulation.
Caption: Flyer promoting the Trailblazing: Build Your Own Path (and Mix) event.
Day 2: November 5, 2024
First-Gen Week continued on November 5 with two events. Students could attend a special Transfer Talk session focused on navigating UC Irvine’s WebReg system and discussing other enrollment policies and practices. First-gen students, faculty, and staff could also attend Trailblazing: Build Your Own Path (and Mix). Highlighting the fact that first-gen students are true trailblazers, this networking event offered the opportunity to connect with UC Irvine’s first-gen community while making a delicious trail mix blend.
Day 3: November 6, 2024
On the morning of November 6, the entire campus community was invited to attend the First-Gen Talk featuring Frances Contreras, Dean of the UC Irvine School of Education. At this event, Dean Contreras shared her first-gen experience and the inspiring story of how she became the first Chicana/Latina Dean to head a School of Education in the University of California system. Watch the video recap of the event.
Later that day, SSI hosted the UC Irvine First-Gen Day Celebration. Dedicated to highlighting first-gen students, faculty, and staff, this event invited the entire campus to enjoy a helpful resource fair, music and live performances, a photo booth, and exciting giveaways and prizes.
Caption: Students visit various booths at the First-Gen Day Celebration resource fair.
Day three concluded with two events. Students could either attend a Counseling Center workshop focused on combating imposter syndrome or sign up to take free professional headshots at the ANTrepreneur Center.
Caption: Flyer promoting free headshots for first-gen students.
Day 4: November 7, 2024
Finally, on November 7, First-Gen Week came to a close with two more events. Students could attend a special first-gen-focused Transfer Tea session titled Planting Possibilities. This session invited first-gen students to cultivate their career goals and plant the seeds for their future success. Attendees took home potted plants to serve as a reminder of the growth they hoped to achieve. Finally, the ANTprepreneur Center and OVPTL Communications hosted a final headshot session to finish out the week of activities.
Takeaways from First-Gen Week 2024
When reflecting on UC Irvine First-Gen Week, Joanna declared this event a success thanks largely to the support of partners across campus:
“This year’s First-Gen Week was an incredible success with lots of student engagement. I want to thank our campus partners for helping make these events possible, especially Kevin Huie (OVPTL Executive Director of Educational Equity and Excellence), the School of Business, the Counseling Center, the ANTrepreneur Center, the OVPTL Communications team, and Dean of Undergraduate Education Michael Dennin for supporting our efforts. Additionally, I’d like to offer a very special thank you to our SSI team for helping plan and execute these events in service to our students.”
If you missed out on UCI First-Gen Week 2024, then mark your calendars for UC Irvine First-Gen Week 2025! More information will be shared in the future, so stay tuned for news and updates.
Want to learn more or get involved with UC Irvine’s first-gen community? Then visit the UC Irvine First Generation website for information on initiatives, services, and upcoming events. To learn more about UC Irvine SSI, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.