When junior Derrick Addison moved into his WCU residence hall as a first-year student, he remembers it was a family affair. Addison is the first in his family to go to college. As a first-generation college student or “first gen,” move-in day was a milestone for both him and his parents.

“We all experienced that for the first time together — getting the keys, going into the dorm. We were all new at this,” recalls the finance and economics major from northwest Philadelphia. “It was probably the first time in my life where my parents were asking me questions about how this worked. I didn’t know and kept saying to them, ‘I’ll have to find that out.’ It was kind of nice to experience all of that together.”

At West Chester, first-generation status means that a student is the first person in their family to attend college and that none of their parents or guardians attended college or completed a degree.

The first family member who goes to college changes the trajectory of a family’s life. It is an experience shared by more students, as first-generation students make up a larger part of college campuses. According to the organization FirstGen Forward, 54% of undergraduates in the United States identify as first-generation college students.

WCU has a long tradition of serving such students, with 24% of current undergraduates in that category. Since 2018, WCU has been recognized as a First Forward Institution by FirstGen Forward. Affordability matched with a quality education encourages students to become Golden Rams.

Support for first-generation students comes from the top. University President R. Lorraine (Laurie) Bernotsky, herself a first-generation college graduate, leads an administration comprising multiple individual trailblazers who were the first in their families to graduate college. “I am delighted to be in a place that so strongly supports first-gen students because I identify with them,” Dr. Bernotsky says.

The decision to attend college is often a family expectation for first-gen students. “From a young age, it was always imparted to me that college is a really good opportunity to get yourself ahead in some way, shape, or form,” says Rachel Treffeisen, a senior Honors communication sciences and disorders major from Hatboro, PA. She served as the First-Generation Senator in the Student Government Association (SGA).

Even when parental support is present, a student often must overcome barriers in their community or among their peers to choose higher education.

“Some people from my hometown tend to stay where they are and never really venture out or look for outside opportunities or they get stuck, and being surrounded by that is hard,” says Rylee Goerig, a senior public health major from Bristol, PA. “I didn’t want to follow in those footsteps.”

In choosing to pursue a degree, all first-generation students navigate college without a parent, sibling, or other family member who can provide guidance or answer questions.

I’m just very passionate about it, because I identify as first gen and as a woman of color. I think I can easily relate to all the hurdles that students go through, like the lack of awareness about resources that are available to them.

- Yessica Gutierrez, assistant director of the Twardowski Career Development Center

Dr. Zebulun Davenport, vice president for University advancement and external affairs, is the co-author of the book First-Generation College Students – Understanding and Improving the Experience from Recruitment to Commencement. He notes that all students must adjust to living on their own, having a roommate, and getting to class. The challenges of college life, he says, aren’t what is different for first-generation students. It’s the preparation for the challenges.

“Their experience is very different because they don't come with a set of what we call cultural capital, or college knowledge,” Dr. Davenport explains. “And because of that, they come without some of those support systems that other people have. … When they look around and see all these other people who seem to be navigating this place seamlessly, they then have what is called imposter syndrome. ‘Do I belong here? Should I be here?’” They can be reluctant to ask questions, he adds.

Aaliyah Wood, a junior early education major from Philadelphia, remembers those feelings of uncertainty in her first year on campus.

“It gets hard because you may know what you need, but you might not know where to go or who to ask,” says Wood, who is secretary of the First-Gen Rams student organization. “And I think that was my biggest thing: I just didn’t know what to do. It was just like, we have this resource, but I don’t know how to get access to it or I don’t know who to ask to get access to it.”

West Chester’s First Provides Support

The West Chester’s First initiative supports first-gen students and provides a sense of community. It is guided by the West Chester’s First steering committee, which includes 22 faculty and staff, many of whom were first-generation college students. The committee is chaired by Amanda Thomas, executive director of assessment and planning in the Student Affairs Division; Yessica Gutierrez, assistant director of the Twardowski Career Development Center; and Ron McColl, assistant professor and special collections librarian.

The committee identifies key areas of focus each academic year, including increasing connections between first-gen students, faculty, and staff; continuing social and educational programs; and streamlining communications. Events sponsored by the committee include a “First Fry-day” event during Welcome Week, where students enjoy crabby fries at Chickie’s and Pete’s on campus, and a celebration of National First-Generation Student Day each November 8. The activities of the West Chester’s First initiative have received grant funding from the Justamere Foundation and the FirstBank Charitable Foundation.

West Chester’s First website features a list of approximately 150 faculty and staff who are first generation. Committee members’ work often is informed by their own journey as first-generation students. When she started college, Thomas recalls, “I thought for sure that I wasn’t going to make it, so I actually spent all of my time in my residence hall, in my room studying.”

When they look around and see all these other people who seem to be navigating this place seamlessly, they then have what is called imposter syndrome. ‘Do I belong here? Should I be here?’

- Dr. Zebulun Davenport, Vice President
for University Advancement and External Affairs

Gutierrez adds, “I’m just very passionate about it, because I identify as first gen and as a woman of color. I think I can easily relate to all the hurdles that students go through, like the lack of awareness about resources that are available to them.”

Thomas, Gutierrez, and McColl write and distribute a newsletter to first-generation students with useful information about navigating college, such as dealing with homework. One newsletter topic, “Strategies for Solving Problems at WCU,” was so popular that it became a learning module that can be accessed any time by students on the University’s online platform. It covers topics such as dropping a class and connecting with the student ombudsman.

Other support comes in the form of special programs, such as the First-Generation Students of Color Internship Prep Program offered by the Twardowski Career Development Center and Dowdy Multicultural Center (DMC). Funded by a Provost Grant, the program prepares students to apply and interview for internships. Gutierrez leads the program with Chyna Hart ’15, M’22, the DMC’s associate director. Topics include interview and resume preparation, professional dress, and more.

Since 2021, Tri Alpha honor society has recognized academic excellence among first-generation students. Undergraduates who have achieved a 3.2 GPA and graduate students with a 3.5 are eligible for membership. An induction ceremony is held each spring.

Finding a Community

First-generation students begin to flourish when they find their community on campus – and that often means connecting with other students who share their experience. Approximately 50 students are living in Goshen Hall in fall 2024 as part of a first-gen-themed living-learning community. For others, connections are made in classes, clubs, and organizations.

First-Gen Rams is a student organization that connects students socially and provides information about navigating college from peers. Programs, planned by the club’s officers, have included how to fill out the FAFSA financial aid form and transition from college to the professional world. Students say that the organization kindles friendships and opens the door to other campus involvement.

Derrick Addison remembers attending his first information session. “I thought, ‘This is something that is perfect for me,’” he recalls. He served as treasurer and president of the organization and acknowledges the importance of First-Gen Rams. “The number of people I met, the friends I made, the faculty I’ve connected with just really made me, honestly, a happier person overall, and shaped my experiences here at school.”

Rachel Treffeisen also has moved on to a greater leadership role as SGA treasurer but she still prioritizes being a welcoming presence to other first gens. “It was really important to me to be able to be that person. I felt like we really made an impact when we could say to first-gen students, ‘Hey, we're here. You’re not alone.’”

I felt like we really made an impact when we could say to first-gen students, “Hey, we're here. You’re not alone.”

- Rachel Treffeisen, SGA treasurer
and first-generation student