{"id":2847,"date":"2018-10-10T14:03:35","date_gmt":"2018-10-10T18:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/?p=2847"},"modified":"2025-01-28T09:18:39","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T14:18:39","slug":"__gen-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/2018\/10\/__gen-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Paving the Way for Gen 1 Students"},"content":{"rendered":"
A new program at Seton Hall provides critical resources \u2014 and support \u2014 to incoming freshmen who are the first in their families to attend college.<\/div><\/div>\n

At Seton Hall, one in every four freshmen is a first-generation college student \u2014 meaning neither parent has a college degree.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Nicole Battaglia ’11
Director of First-Year Initiatives
Freshman Studies
On her first day of classes at Seton Hall, Nicole Battaglia sat in the wrong classroom for an agonizing 35 minutes. It was a small mistake \u2014 one that many can relate to \u2014 but as a first-generation student, Battaglia worried that she was missing crucial information about how to navigate college. When she became a peer adviser, she learned about campus resources and began to take advantage of them. Now as an architect of the Gen 1 program, Battaglia is on a mission to ensure students at Seton Hall feel more confident and better prepared than she did.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Navigating the first year of college is tough for anyone, but \u201cfirst-gen\u201d students often face different challenges. Most juggle outside jobs and family responsibilities with schoolwork. Though eager to offer support, their parents can\u2019t share firsthand experience with writing a college essay or navigating dorm-room etiquette. And there\u2019s an intense pressure to make everyone proud and pull off a family first by earning a college degree.<\/p>\n

As a result of the difficulties they bump into as freshmen, first-generation students in general are less likely than their peers to finish college in four years \u2014 or to graduate at all. Among Seton Hall freshmen, there\u2019s a seven point retention difference between first-gen freshmen and their classmates.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why the University unveiled a new program for its first-generation freshmen in summer 2017. It starts with a weeklong \u201cbridge\u201d in August, but continues throughout the year with academic coaching, scholarship opportunities and pizza-fueled gatherings.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Leidy Nizama, Sophomore
Stillman School of Business
Born in Lima, Peru; Moved to Dover, New Jersey
\u201cMy parents moved here so we\u2019d have a chance to get a higher education and do better \u2014the American dream.\u201d Nizama says the biggest lesson the Gen 1 program has taught her is how to ask for help. As first-generation students, \u201cwe\u2019ve been alone and doing everything ourselves, so sometimes we forget there are other people we can reach out to. They make sure to mention that [in the Gen 1 program] all the time.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>Here\u2019s a look at what exactly the Gen 1 program entails, the students it\u2019s helping, and the faculty and staff who are powering it.<\/p>\n

The Bridge<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe primary goal of the Gen 1 program is to ensure that our first-generation students have a clear sense of belonging and an understanding of the skills they need to perform college-level work,\u201d says Nicole Battaglia \u201911, director of first-year initiatives.<\/p>\n

For its debut in 2017, the program invited all first-gen freshmen to join a 10-day summer \u201cbridge\u201d program in late August. Twenty-four students signed up.<\/p>\n

Each day included guest speakers who shared their expertise on everything from managing stress to using the career center to landing outside scholarships. Mornings incorporated a workshop on college-level math courses, and in the afternoons, students had a grammar and writing workshop to prepare them for college papers. The program also supplied students with a \u201cSeton Hall Dictionary,\u201d so they\u2019d know what people meant by things like \u201cthe bursar\u201d or \u201cthe Green.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Jonathan Barcelos, Junior
Stillman School of Business
Union, New Jersey
\u201cI\u2019m going into my third year now as a peer adviser. When I heard that the department was going to start working with first-generation students in particular, I thought that was a good opportunity for me to help those students as well, since I\u2019m a first-generation student myself. I\u2019m excited to help answer all the questions they have, take them to dinner and study halls \u2014 to make everyone feel welcome and included.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Saturday, the group headed into Manhattan and saw School of Rock on Broadway. They walked down South Orange Avenue together, found the train station, and made their way into the city. Battaglia says it helped the students get used to navigating NYC \u2014 and for some, it was also their first time seeing a Broadway show.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, they painted positive messages on stones as part of the Kindness Rocks project. Those painted rocks popped up all around campus throughout the fall semester, hidden in bushes or under benches, but no one else knew the story behind them or who to thank.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Omayra Arocho \u201999\/M.A. \u201901\/Ph.D. \u201917
Assistant Dean of College Engagement and Community Development; College of Education and Human Services.
“Melanie is an extremely dedicated and driven student who has so much to offer to Seton Hall University. I believe I learned just as much from her, if not more, through this purposeful connection.\u201d <\/p>\n

Melanie Pacheco, Sophomore
School of Diplomacy and International Relations
West Orange, New Jersey
\u201cWhen we had our meetings, we could joke around in Spanish. It made the whole setting more comfortable. [Omayra] stressed organization and managing my time correctly. She\u2019d even give me examples of what she did with her own schedule. And she\u2019d put certain goals for me to accomplish \u2014 like meeting with a professor during office hours \u2014 and then check on them the next time.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>Meeting VIPs<\/strong>
\nThe program kicked off with a barbecue for all the Gen 1 students and their families. Also on the guest list:
\nInterim President Mary Meehan \u201972\/M.A. \u201974\/Ph.D. \u201901, who was a first-generation Seton Hall student herself.<\/p>\n

That night, each student got a photo standing beside Meehan. They met deans and vice presidents and other high-level administrators. \u201cRight off the bat, they\u2019re making connections to make them feel that they belong,\u201d says Robin Cunningham \u201978\/M.A. \u201984\/Ed.S. \u201996, associate vice president and dean of freshman studies. \u201cThat\u2019s our most important objective: that these students feel comfortable here and know that they could walk into the vice president\u2019s office as easily as anyone\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

All Over Campus<\/strong>
\n\u201cWe really tried to throw a net over the whole University community to celebrate first-generation status,\u201d Cunningham says. The program identified about 80 first-gen faculty and administrators and put their names, photos and titles onto posters, then hung those posters all over campus. They also distributed blue stickers with \u201cGen 1\u201d splashed across them and encouraged faculty and staff to post them in their offices. Students have stuck them up in their dorm rooms, too, and Cunningham reports spotting one on the back of a car recently.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Maggie Hernandez, M.A. \u201912
Operations Coordinator Freshman Studies
\u201cI think at the beginning of the fall semester she was a little nervous. Watching her grow over the year was really special to me. The highlight is that we\u2019re going to continue our relationship. We\u2019ve already emailed a few times over the summer and I can\u2019t wait to see her in the fall. She\u2019s such a special young woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cheyanne Ganpat, Sophomore
College of Arts and Sciences
Raritan, New Jersey
\u201cBesides being a best friend \u2014 we know each other so well and joke around and I can talk to her about anything \u2014 Maggie also motivates me and is really encouraging. I know it\u2019s weird to say, but she\u2019s also kind of like my therapist. If I\u2019m having trouble in a class or I\u2019m unsure about something, she listens to my problems, advises me on what she knows, and if she doesn\u2019t have the answers, she\u2019ll help me find someone who does.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mentors Who Understand<\/strong>
\nThe Gen 1 students received academic coaches and peer advisers, just as other Seton Hall freshmen do. But their mentors had extra insight, since they also had been the first in their families to attend college \u2014 or had a special interest in helping those who are.<\/p>\n

No Charge<\/strong>
\nThe Gen 1 program, including the summer bridge, was offered free to students. Participants also received a $500 textbook voucher after completing the program.<\/p>\n

What Sophomores Say, After Year One<\/h2>\n

Hannah Curran<\/strong>
\n\u201cOnce the summer program was over, we stayed in touch. We still have a group chat. We try to get dinner or breakfast here and there. We spend a lot of time together. It\u2019s almost like a family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Hannah Curran, Sophomore
College of Education and Human Services
Pompton Lakes, New Jersey
\u201cMy mom wants to help me, she wants to see me succeed, but she doesn\u2019t always know what advice to give. She watches YouTube videos about college just so she can try to relate more. When it was time to register for classes, I didn\u2019t know what to do. I went to Dunkin\u2019 Donuts with my peer adviser, who\u2019s also a first-gen college student, and he showed me exactly how to do everything.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Leidy Nizama<\/strong>
\n\u201cI\u2019ll be hanging out on the Green and I\u2019ll see Dean Gottlieb or Dean Cunningham and wave at them or say hi and talk to them. It\u2019s like a big community. I\u2019ve met some professors who I notice have a Gen 1 sticker on their door. It\u2019s something that connects us. If I go in to talk to them, it\u2019s like, Hey, I noticed you\u2019re Gen 1, too. It opens a new door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Rodriguez<\/strong>
\n\u201cI\u2019m still very involved [with the Gen 1 program]. Our cohort created a first-generation student club on campus, and I\u2019m the president. We have a lot of events planned for this coming semester: stress relief days where we\u2019re going to help people cope with finals and midterms; speakers coming in to talk about scholarship opportunities; people who were first-gen students coming in to discuss their experiences; movie nights and game nights. My goal is to really create a community for first-gen students on campus, even those who weren\u2019t in the summer program.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

Gen 1 Timeline<\/strong><\/h2>\n

August 13-22<\/strong>
\nSummer Bridge Program on campus, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., including guest lecturers, math and English workshops, and a variety of college-readiness activities<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Elizabeth Rodriguez, Sophomore
College of Communication and the Arts
Bronx, New York
\u201cMy favorite part was definitely the group of friends that I made. As soon as my parents left on Move-In Day, I felt so lonely. But then I was able to contact some of my friends from [the Gen 1 program] and they came to hang out with me. It was great to already have a group of friends there and not feel totally lost.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

August 24<\/strong>
\nFreshman Move-In Day<\/p>\n

August 28<\/strong>
\nFirst day of classes<\/p>\n

September 26<\/strong>
\nPizza party social<\/p>\n

October 3 and 31<\/strong>
\n\u201cLunch and Learn\u201d sessions to discuss time management and other challenges<\/p>\n

October 18<\/strong>
\nMeet-and-greet to connect with other freshman (318 of them) and sophomore (380) first-gen students who weren\u2019t in the summer program<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Brandon M. Larmore \u201908
Director of the Academic Resource Center
\u201cI was a mess,\u201d Brandon Larmore remembers of his own early days as a Seton Hall student. \u201cI was confused about what I should be doing and what I needed to know before coming into college. There were certain majors I didn\u2019t even know existed until I got to college. [The Gen 1] students entered with a lot more calm then I was able to. To me, that was one of [the program\u2019s] greatest successes.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

October<\/strong>
\nGen 1 parents receive a letter with pictures from the summer program and information about scholarships and fellowships<\/p>\n

November 7<\/strong>
\nExternal scholarships meeting for all first-gen freshman students<\/p>\n

November 16<\/strong>
\nMeet-and-greet for all first-gen Seton Hall students, faculty and administrator<\/p>\n

December 12<\/strong>
\nEnd-of-the-semester celebration for Gen 1 students that included food and a photo booth<\/p>\n

Summer 2018<\/strong>
\nForty-eight students were set to attend the Gen 1 summer bridge this year \u2014 exactly double the first year\u2019s number<\/p>\n

Two students from the Gen 1 program (Elizabeth Rodriguez and Karmen Yap) were highlighted as part of a Good Morning America story on first-generation students published on GMA\u2019s digital network: goodmorningamerica.com\/news\/story\/surprised-1st-generation-college-students-touching-letters-
\nparents-57456806<\/p>\n

Molly Petrilla is a freelance writer based in New Jersey.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new program at Seton Hall provides critical resources \u2014 and support \u2014 to incoming freshmen who are the first in their families to attend college.<\/p>\n

Continue ReadingPaving the Way for Gen 1 Students<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4073,"featured_media":2893,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[258,3,12,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-2015-2019","category-complete-issues","category-features","category-students","entry"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4073"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2847"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3040,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2847\/revisions\/3040"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}