Bracelet making kicks off First-Gen Celebration Week
- Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez
Arts & Features Editor
CASA hosted the “First-Gen Student Celebration” at the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) Nov. 3. It’s the first of three events for National First-Gen Celebration Week.
At the event, bracelet and button making, “Leaf Your Mark,” and ice cream were available.
Kelly Curtis, coordinator of the RAMS first-year seminar, said the event was important because it gives first-gen students a chance to celebrate their achievements.
Each year, they typically “have a day where we have crafts and some kind of treat for students to come and spend some time,” Curtis said.
“On Wednesday, we’ll be in the McCarthy Center, and that’s another celebration time where students can come and sign a commitment-to-graduate banner,” Curtis said.
She added it’s great that some students were present and working on some crafts.
It can be difficult to adjust to college life when someone comes from a family that doesn’t fully understand “what it means to walk onto a campus,” she said.
Sometimes “you just feel lost,” she added.
It’s important for first-gen students to recognize their accomplishments and think about their future, she said.
Jenna Saade, a student success coach for CASA, came up with “Leaf Your Mark,” which is a spot where students can leave notes about who inspires and supports them, and why they decided to go to college, Curtis said.
Saade was a first-gen student from Framingham but didn’t go to FSU.
She went to college at UMass Lowell, where she was later part of their first-gen support program.
For a couple of years, she worked in the Office of Admissions at FSU before joining CASA, where she got involved in helping first-gen students.
“When I started working at CASA and knew about the GenerationOne work that they do … I was more than happy to get on board and help with that, since I know from first-hand experience the benefits of being involved in a first-gen community and having that support system on campus,” Saade said.
The button making and “Leaf Your Mark” were additions to the usual annual events, she said.
She said being a first-gen student has both its challenges and strengths, as the students are usually more resilient.
“You should really rely on others who are there to support you every step of the way, and that’s what we’re here for,” Saade said.
Freshman finance major Jennifer Lopez said she went to the event because she wanted to meet new people.
“I’m very proud to be a first year college student because my parents didn’t get the chance to graduate and I think it’s a really big milestone in my life,” Lopez said.
She added more people should go to these events to make new experiences and meet new people.
Freshman education major Ella Costa said she decided to go with Lopez because they’re both first-gen students.
“It’s been a lot of fun so far. We’re making some pins and we put our leaf with all our inspirations for succeeding on the little tree in here,” Costa said.
She added events like these are good opportunities to network.
