{"id":63149,"date":"2024-10-31T07:51:16","date_gmt":"2024-10-31T11:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=63149"},"modified":"2024-11-06T08:48:11","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T13:48:11","slug":"first-gen-week-celebrate-what-it-means-to-be-a-first-generation-student-at-utc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2024\/10\/first-gen-week-celebrate-what-it-means-to-be-a-first-generation-student-at-utc\/","title":{"rendered":"First Gen Week: Celebrate what it means to be a first-generation student at UTC\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Students

Students Ja’Toria Powell and Olivia Miller attend the 2023 First Gen Week kickoff. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

When Curel Jones came to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as a freshman in 2020, she quickly realized she was a bit in over her head.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a first-generation student, Jones had no idea what to expect from college.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the hardest parts of transitioning to college was realizing how different it was from high school,\u201d said Jones, a <\/span>senior<\/span> marketing major from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. \u201cI had to learn how to ask for help and seek out the support I needed\u2014a skill that didn\u2019t come naturally at first.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She said the lack of support she initially experienced made her feel isolated.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNone of my family members fully understood the weight of balancing everything\u2014academics, a social life, work and involvement in organizations, and my mental health,\u201d she said. \u201cTo them, it might have seemed like just \u2018school,\u2019 but college is so much more than that.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Crystal Edenfield, director of Student Success Programs at UTC, understands that this feeling can be common among first-generation students.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst-gen students have obstacles that other students may face, but because of their lived experiences, they may navigate them a little differently,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

=========================================================================<\/p>\n

At the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year, approximately 20.1%
\nof the UTC student population
\nwas considered first-generation college students.<\/em><\/p>\n

=========================================================================<\/p>\n

Fortunately, UTC has multiple initiatives to help these students get the most out of their college experience while enjoying every moment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First Gen Mocs<\/span><\/b><\/a> is an initiative comprised of three levels of engagement\u2013\u2013a Living Learning Community (LLC), a mentor program and a virtual community\u2013\u2013which help connect first-gen students with the resources they need to succeed.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n