This August, UW–Madison was one of 80 universities selected to join the FirstGen Forward Network (formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success), based on the university’s demonstrated commitment to improving experiences and advancing success for first-generation students.
Over 150 Badgers, along with their families and supporters, celebrated being the first in their families to graduate college during “Trailblazers of Tomorrow: A First-Gen Graduation Event.”
Twenty first-generation students at UW–Madison are on the brink of a transformative experience. These undergraduate scholars from the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement (DDEEA) will attend the National Conference on Undergraduate Research from April 8 through 11, 2024. The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) promotes undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study by sponsoring an annual conference for students.
The formal definition of a first-generation college student is a student whose parents did not complete a four-year college degree. According to 2020 data, 19.4% of students at UW–Madison self-identify as a first-generation student. The formal definition does not take into account the postsecondary experiences of extended family members, older siblings, and influential adults in a student’s life.
Tuesday, Nov. 8, is national First-Generation College Student Day, when we salute all of the Badgers who are the first in their families to attend college.
Imagine what it is like to dread going home for the holiday break because all semester you struggled academically and questioned whether you belong at your institution. As a first-generation, low-income student in college, this is what Andrew Martinez, PhD went through.