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Thursday Session Options 

9:00am-9:15am EST

Day 2 Welcome & Presentation of the 2024 Excellence in Advocacy of First-Gen Students Award

9:15am-10:15am EST

Intrusive Advising in Health Career Opportunity Programs

Mary Duggan, MA & Nyla Fussell, MHA

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine’s Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) provides six pathway programs for students from under-resourced backgrounds. Many HCOP participants are first generation college students who have limited exposure to health careers or to professional networks. They often face obstacles in their personal lives that hinder their ability to solely focus on their career aspirations. Students cannot thrive academically or professionally if they are not doing well personally. Therefore, the HCOP team utilizes intrusive advising to foster meaningful relationships that enable them to provide holistic support to students throughout their participation in the programs. This session explores intrusive advising as a methodology and why community matters for first gen students pursuing health professions. Former HCOP participants will serve as panelists to share how intrusive advising impacted them.

9:15am-10:15am EST

Navigating the Future: First-Generation Student Workshop on Pursuing Graduate Education

Brittany Bronson, MODL

This workshop aims to demystify the graduate school application process and provide first-generation students with guidance, encouragement, and practical advice from their peers. By facilitating conversations about graduate education, financial planning, and career prospects, attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the possibilities and steps involved in pursuing advanced degrees. The inclusion of first-generation graduate students as workshop facilitators ensures that the guidance provided is relatable and tailored to the specific challenges faced by first-gen students. This workshop will empower first-gen undergraduates to confidently pursue their aspirations for graduate education and career success.

9:15am-10:15am EST

Building Resiliency, Fostering Success, and Celebrating Intersectionality in First-Year Seminar Students*

Joe Lizza, Ed.D.

First year students enter college with barriers and these barriers are often amplified for first-generation students. This presentation will highlight the approach Rowan University took to adapt their traditional first year seminar course for first-generation students. The presenter will share an approach which combines institutional mission, campus literacy, skill development, resiliency, and identity exploration. Institutional evidence of the model’s success (and struggles), as well as tips to implement the model will be shared.

*Also offered on Wednesday at 2:15pm-3:15pm EST.

10:15am-10:30am EST

Break

10:30am-11:45am EST

Med Panel

CMSRU Panelists: Arnold Rojas & Amir Davoodi
SOM Panelists: Katarina Rusinak & Evelyn Robles

Please join us for the First Gen Students In Medicine Panel. This year’s theme, “Fostering First-gen Well-Being,” explores our renewed focus on student well-being and caring for the whole student. This unique cross campus panel will include students from Rowan School of Osteopathic Medicine and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. During this panel, they will share insights gained on their unique journey concluding with audience questions and answers.

10:30am-11:30am EST

ProfPals - Creating Connection to Enhance Student Success and Well-Being

Lindsay Johnson, M.S.Ed., L.P.C., L.C.A.D.C., A.C.S.

This presentation will discuss a new, innovative program, ProfPals, that is designed to help all students (including First-Generation Students) at Rowan feel a sense of connection and belonging while facilitating student engagement with the Thrive dimensions of well-being. ProfPals is a unique program in that it allows students to develop and build social connection with other students as a means to enhancing their overall well-being and success at Rowan. Due to ProfPals recent development, this presentation aims to discuss the goals and vision of the program while also exploring feedback from attendees to elevate the ability for it to be a successful program for students, and in particular our First-Generation Students.

10:30am-11:30am EST

Inclusive Communication Strategies in the Classroom to Support First-Generation Students

Miles Coleman, Ph.D., Angela Cirucci, Ph.D., & Gregory Caputo, Ph.D.

This discussion will cover some best practices for communication in the classroom for supporting all students, but which also particularly support first-generation students. The discussion is based on study carried out by the speakers in which they designed a training, based on best practices of inclusive supportive instructional communication.

11:30am-12:30pm EST

Break

12:30pm-1:30pm EST

First-gen Students Have a Hustle Culture Problem

Jennifer McGraw

This presentation delves into the unique challenges faced by first-generation college students in their pursuit of academic success and the profound impact on their mental well-being. As these students strive to overcome societal and familial expectations, they often grapple with intense pressure to excel academically, creating a complex interplay between achievement and mental health. Through a comprehensive exploration of research findings and personal narratives, this presentation sheds light on the multifaceted nature of the success-related stressors experienced by first-generation students. From imposter syndrome and familial obligations to financial constraints, the presentation underscores the cumulative effects of these stressors on mental health, including anxiety, depression, and burnout. By fostering understanding and awareness, the presentation aims to provide educators, counselors, and support services with insights to better address the emotional well-being of first-generation college students, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic educational environment.

12:30pm-1:30pm EST

Impermanence and the First-Generation College Student Dilemma

Zachary Desjardins, M.S. SAA, MPA & John Martinez

In our roles as higher education professionals, we often yearn for greater stability. Working in higher education can be a tumultuous and unpredictable endeavor, and our quest for stability can feel frustratingly elusive. But what if we were to wholeheartedly embrace uncertainty and constant change? How might this radical shift empower us to maintain an unwavering focus on our students? To shed light on this perspective, let's introduce the concept of impermanence, as defined by Andrew Olendzki. Impermanence underscores the idea that nothing remains static; instead, everything is in a continuous state of flux. Armed with this understanding, we can better address the unique challenges faced by first-generation college students in higher education – a frequently misunderstood population. These students often navigate formidable obstacles throughout their undergraduate journeys, often in silence. As higher education professionals, it is imperative that we not only adapt but also thrive within the ever-evolving landscape of their academic and personal experiences. One transformative approach is to introduce the concept of impermanence, allowing us to cultivate a profound presence and unwavering engagement in our daily interactions with students. Embracing this reality can revolutionize our practice in higher education, helping us better support our students in their ever-changing academic and personal journeys.

12:30pm-1:30pm EST

Leveraging Your Identity in Medical School Applications and as a Medical Student

Anudeep Deevi & Victoria Wong Murray

Many first-generation students are apprehensive about how they are perceived in the application process and during their training period as future physicians, and receive less guidance from their community. Historically, physicians have come from certain backgrounds, so students from other cultures are often concerned about fitting in. However, we would like to share how we have identified specific opportunities to contribute our perspectives as medical students and in academic and national leadership, and how this has proved useful for our careers, such as Anudeep's founding of a diversity, equity, and inclusion conference at the Stratford campus. We also hope to provide individualized guidance to attendees as to how they can pursue similar projects themselves.

1:30pm-1:45pm EST

Break

1:45pm-2:45pm EST

Creating Community: First-Gen Sense of Belonging

Amina Mostafa, MA, LAC & Lisa Cardello, Ed.S.

First-generation college students are the first in their families to pursue higher education degrees, and as such are piloting new undertakings in many respects. Research on a sense of belonging has demonstrated that higher rates of belonging are correlated with greater academic success and graduation outcomes (Gopalan & Brady, 2020). Estimates display first-generation college students, make up around a quarter to one third of total enrollment in post-secondary institutions in the United States, however graduate at a significantly lower rate than the national average. And first-generation college students are a particularly vulnerable population and have been found to have several traits that characterize them as an at-risk population in higher education (Ishitani, 2006). This workshop will examine the research of sense of belonging as it relates to first generation college students and explore the implications and recommendations to increase sense of belonging and ultimately promote persistence, college degree completion and overall well-being.

1:45pm-2:45pm EST

Purpose & Community

Lauwinda Cherilus

Do you have a five-year plan? I WAS FREQUENTLY ASKED THIS QUESTION when I started college four years ago. The reality is that some of us need a clue or a plan for what comes next and take things as they come. Finding one's place in society is challenging when false realities on social media and in the news surround us. My generation is increasingly overwhelmed by the state of our community, and we struggle to figure out what to do or find our purpose amidst all the chaos.

Their environments highly impact college students' well-being. It can be hard to notice the negative impacts of our experiences when that's all we are surrounded by, and having a safe space in your community can help boost your morale or sense of belonging. Many of us need help finding our purpose or passion because we need to know the importance of being engaged in our community.

I spent my first three undergraduate years lost and having no idea what to do with my degree after college, and having no social life outside of school and work did not help. After feeling burned out for years, I decided to step back and devote more time to volunteering, learning about the resources, and getting involved on college campuses and other activities. I have found a sense of belonging through networking with professionals and finding the necessary help to enhance my mindset positively and become a well-rounded individual.

Networking with accomplished leaders actively involved in their community can be a great source of inspiration for students. Engaging with others who have real-life experiences can help us find our way and envision a meaningful future beyond the campus. Students must discover their purpose before graduation to avoid feeling lost or uncertain about what comes next. Let's strive to learn from those around us and create a clear path toward our goals.

1:45pm-2:45pm EST

Supporting the Mental Health Needs of First Generation Students*

Andrea Leach, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.

Discussion about the current research on First Generation Student and mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, stress related to housing, finances, lack of supports and pressure to succeed. This presentation will discuss recommendations to improve mental health for these students as well as the services available at Rowan.

*Also offered on Wednesday at 10:30am-11:30am EST.

2:45pm-3:00pm EST

Closing Remarks

Thursday Session Options