First-Generation

First-Generation and Low-Income College Student Support at Wheaton

Approximately 20% of Wheaton students are the first in their families to attend college or come from low-income backgrounds…
… and we’re proud of that! First-gen and low-income students are a strong, independent, and self-reliant community and we believe it’s important to recognize their achievements! Wheaton holds a first-gen student awareness week annually to recognize, support and celebrate this identity with events and programming.

Wheaton dedicates staff and resources to support first-gen students with their individual needs one-on-one…
The Center for Social Justice and Community Impact works with Student and Academic Affairs to develop programming for first-gen students every semester. Additionally, a dedicated AmeriCorps VISTA currently works in the center to develop long-term support structures for first-gen or low-income students to ensure their success at Wheaton.

The Focus on First-Gen program provides events and programs to build the first-gen community and connect students to resources…
In addition to one-on-one academic support and advising, first-gen centered student programming such as networking events, movie viewings, dinners, alumni panels, and performances are all available for students to take advantage of. Additionally, a first-gen early arrival session, Brave, Bold & First, is held in August prior to that start of the academic year to provide students an opportunity to acclimate to campus, develop connections with peers and meet campus resources.

What it Means to Me to be First Generation

Laurent Tossoukpe '22

Brave Bold & First LLC Peer Mentor

I was born in Togo, moved to Boston when I was 4. I played football in high school and have two younger siblings I have to watch over.

What does first-gen college student mean to you?
Being a first-gen student means you have to deal with everything on your own, and most times you have to depend on yourself because you don’t have any connections to utilize.

Whitney O'Reardon '22

Brave Bold & First LLC Peer Mentor

Hi, my name is Whitney O’Reardon. I’m part of the class of 2022, and I’m interested in studio arts! I have one older sister and I live with my mom in Connecticut. In my free time I love to read. I’m a fan of Doctor Who, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings, so I’m a bit of a sci-fy/fantasy geek. Here at Wheaton, I host a radio show on WCCS 96.5 FM, called Broadway Beats, where I play songs from musical theatre and film. I’m very excited to be living in the First Generation Community this coming year!

What does first-gen college student mean to you?
When I was younger, my mother made sure to let me know that amazing opportunities can come to me if I study hard. As a first generation college student, I am helping to pioneer the way, for my family, in higher education. I do have one older sister currently in college, so now, the two of us are getting the chance to share these new experiences with our family.

Ashley Valentine '22

Resident Advisor for Brave Bold & First LLC

I am a Neuroscience major with a Pre-med track. On campus, I am involved with Women in STEM and currently the SJCI Intern.

What does first-gen college student mean to you?
Being a first gen student means being fearless in your ambitions.

Stevent Cleto-Garcia '22

I am from New York City but I was born in the Dominican Republic and moved here when I was 7. I am aspiring to be a Triple major (International Relations, Italian Studies & Linguistics and maybe a minor in Legal Studies). I was selected to be an RA the second semester of my first year. I spend most of my time exploring, cooking and dancing. I love music! I can speak three languages (English, Spanish, Italian and I know ASL).

What does first-gen college student mean to you?
First Gen to me is taking on the world. Doing things that seemed impossible before the time I arrived at my chosen institution. First-Gen to me is the hard work from the people around me to get me to where I am today, me continuing and multiplying that work to make sure I get to where I want to be!

Dolma Tsering Lama '22

My name is Dolma Tsering Lama ’22 and I am from the Himalayas of Nepal. I want to major in Film and New Media since I want to make movies back in my home country. I love Art and Languages.

What does being first gen college student mean to you?
Being a first gen means now, I can give back to my community. I am very grateful for that. Many kids like me are not able to do that even if they want to from where I come from.

Roger Freeman '19

My name is Roger Freeman. I am a senior at Wheaton, majoring in Studio Art. I was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. I enjoy exploring the outdoors when the weather is nice, one summer I kayaked over 200 nautical miles in Southeast Alaska and got to get up close to whales and sea lions.

What does being a first gen college student mean to you?
Being a first-generation college student to me means that I am paving the way for my nephew to go on to college. He is less than a year old now, but I want him to grow up and see that attending a private 4-year college is an option. Also, being a first gen student means that I can show my family that they can too achieve their goals in sight of adversity.

Asaada Craig '22

My name is Asaada Craig. I am deciding between psychology or education as a major with a minor in studio art or Theater. I love to sing! I am the oldest of 4 siblings with age gaps ranging between 6 and 18 years old.

What does being a first gen college student mean to you?
When I think of being a first generation student I think of how I have paved the way for my younger siblings. Having the opportunity to achieve higher education appeared slim at one point in my life, but my perseverance has always been driven by the thought of my dreams and aspirations becoming a reality. I want to send a message to any young student that has a world changing dream wrapped up in their mind, that they can bring all of their brilliant ideas to life no matter how challenging or impossible the road may look. Being a first generation student means being the one to open the doors for those to come and I’m proud that such a role is apart of my identity.

Courtney Bodeen '19

I’m from Southern Maine, a first-year student at Wheaton, I own 6 pairs of crocs and I love to write poetry.

What does being a first gen college student mean to you?
To me, being a first generation college student means taking every opportunity I can get. Being a first-gen student is exciting, and I love to call my family and tell them all about my experiences. I’m very thankful to be able to attend Wheaton.

Heydrick Padilla '19

My name is Heydrick Padilla and I am studying Chemistry and Mathematics at Wheaton College while also completing my BE in Chemical Engineering at Dartmouth College through a Dual degree program. I am from the Bronx, NY. I am passionate about renewable energy and energy storage technology. With my education, I hope to promote renewable energy and eventually become an entrepreneur.

What does being a first gen college student mean to you?
To me, being a first gen student means I have a responsibility to my family, and more importantly to myself, to achieve a degree in higher education. With this degree, I will be able to promote education to my future family as well as younger scholars who are seeking a role model. As a child, I lacked a role model which has driven me to achieve success so that I may eventually become the role model I lacked in my youth. I hope to use my success to promote STEM education to underrepresented identities. I find that leading by example will inspire the next generation of leaders to pursue higher education which will help them figure out their passions and goals.

First Generation Living and Learning Community

The Brave, Bold & First (BBF) LLC is an intentional residence hall community for first-generation students. It provides leadership development and peer mentoring opportunities for underclass Wheaton students designed to accelerate their personal and academic success. BBF is intended for students who are the first in their family or within their community of support to attend college.

For more information about the LLC, please contact firstgen@wheatoncollege.edu

The First-Generation and Low-Income (FGLI) Task Force

Mission Statement

The Low-Income and First-Gen Task Force at Wheaton College aspires to establish Wheaton as a premier destination for talented first-generation* and low-income students* (FGLI) to excel. It is a committee of student, staff, and faculty that seeks to institutionalize resources available to FGLI student and work alongside them to define their space and voice in the community.

First-Generation – Self-defined at Wheaton. Students who may fall into this category include those who are the first in their family to go to college, students whose guardians or parents are not familiar with the American higher education system, or students who otherwise identify themselves as first-generation students because they have little to no knowledge about navigating a four-year college experience.

Low-income – Students for whom one or more of the following statement(s) is/are true: Pell-eligible students, students who grew up in low-income households at or below the poverty line, and/or students who have difficulty covering their basic needs expenses, and cannot turn to members of their family and community for help covering these expenses.

Members:

Shaya Gregory Poku, Associate Vice President for Institutional Equity and Belonging

Marco Barbone, Senior Assistant Director, Alumni Relations

Valerie Tobia, Director of Counseling and Health Services

Kyrie Johnson, Assistant Director of Financial Aid Programs

Victoria Rose, Senior Assistant Director of Admission

Victor Omoayo, Student Success Advisor

Raquel Ramos, Dean, Marshall Center for Intercultural Learning

Ivette Mendoza, Low-Income & First-Gen Student Success AmeriCorp Member

Cary Gouldin, Humanities Librarian

Brian Walmsley, Head Coach, Men’s Basketball

Rachelle DeCoste, William and Elsie Prentice Professor, Department Chair, Mathematics

To bring an issue to the attention of the task force, email equityandbelonging@wheatoncollege.edu.

On-Campus Services

Tutoring Academic Calendar Course Schedule Library Assistance Study Abroad Student Organizations Student Employment

Departmental Resources

Off Campus Resources

I'm First GlobalMindEd NACADA FirstGEN Fellows College Access Network

First-Generation and Low-Income Student Contact
equityandbelonging@wheatoncollege.edu

First-Generation and Low-Income College Student Support at Wheaton

First Generation Living and Learning Community

The First-Generation and Low-Income (FGLI) Task Force

Mission Statement

Center for Social Justice and Community Impact

Center for Social Justice and Community Impact

Marshall Center

Marshall Center

Counseling Center

Counseling Center

Career Services

Career Services

Academic Advising

Academic Advising

Student Financial Services

Student Financial Services