President's Blog

Celebrating Our First-Generation Students

As a first-generation college student and as a higher education administrator, I understand many of the challenges and burdens of being the first in your family to attend a college or university. I am the youngest of six children in a family that gratefully values education. My mother held a high school diploma and my father earned his GED after returning from Korea, having served in the Army. The mission of providing educational opportunities to all students, regardless of gender, race, or economic status, speaks directly to my values and to why I believe Owens Community College is an essential institution in our region.

A first-generation college student is defined as a student whose parents or guardians do not have a degree. In the past two academic years, 2020-21 and 2021-22, nearly 60 percent of Owens Community College graduates self-reported being first-generation college graduates when they earned their associate degrees. That’s more than 2,400 of our 4,100 graduates.

Since 2017, colleges and universities across the country have been celebrating First Generation College Student Day annually on November 8 to honor first-generation college students’ important contributions to their communities. The date is also significant because it’s the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, which was intended to provide educational opportunity for Americans from minority and low-income backgrounds.

In addition to creating federal grants and loan programs to help students finance their educations, the HEA made key investments in institutions of higher education and ushered in programs like the federal TRIO programs that have been successful in facilitating post-secondary access, retention, and completion for low-income, first-generation college students.

I am proud to say that Owens Community College offers TRIO Student Support Services. This federally-funded program promotes academic support so students can successfully obtain their college degree, provides individualized academic advising to help individuals achieve their educational goals, and offers an environment that recognizes the diversity of backgrounds and learning styles of the individuals it serves. TRIO helps students attain either an associate degree or certificate, and, when interested, transfer to a four-year university.

At Owens Community College, we strive to meet students where they are and provide services that help them overcome some of the challenges they may encounter. Our first-generation students are no exception. Our TRIO Student Support Services staff is dedicated to helping students navigate college successfully by offering services that are tailored to each student’s unique situation and educational goals.

Last week, I was honored to participate in our First Generation College Student Celebration which was held at both campus library locations. This collaborative effort was sponsored in part by our TRIO Student Support Services as well as the TRIO Educational Opportunity Center, the Fast Track Program and the Library. This event provided an informal opportunity for first-generation students to gather and discuss the positive change they are making in their lives and the people close to them.

Part of the celebration included a panel discussion of some current Owens first-generation students as well as several employees who were the first in their families to complete higher education. The stories were moving, as they talked about the challenges of trying to navigate an environment where they felt out of place or for which they had no context. Further, they had no one at home to call with questions because they were the first in their families to even have these questions. As important as it is to understand their challenges, the panelists also represented hope, achievement, perseverance, and tenacity. They have succeeded and their lives are forever transformed by the power of higher education.

Dione D. Somerville, Ed.D.
President