Schedule

All dates and times are subject to change.

Thursday Session Options

8:15 AM - 9:00 AM ET

Check in & Breakfast

9:00 AM - 9:10 AM ET

Welcome

Join us as we kick off the 9th Annual First-Generation Symposium!

9:10 AM - 9:15 AM ET

Introduction of Keynote Speaker

9:15 AM - 10:30 AM ET

Keynote

The FG Remix: Shifting the Narrative That Shapes the Future

Nicole Pulliam, PhD

First-generation students are often described through a deficit lens, as underprepared, uncertain, or in need of catching up. What if those same experiences actually reflect leadership in practice? In this keynote, Dr. Nicole Pulliam reframes the first-generation experience through a counter-narrative. Going first requires navigating unfamiliar systems, interpreting unspoken expectations, and making decisions without inherited guidance. These experiences represent adaptive expertise and emerging leadership. Drawing on research, lived experience, and practical examples, this talk explores how institutional environments shape student outcomes and how colleges can shift from support models rooted in remediation to opportunity structures rooted in recognition. By redefining readiness and belonging, attendees will be invited to reconsider not only how we support first-generation students, but how we identify and cultivate the leaders already present on our campuses.

10:30 AM - 10:45 AM ET

Welcome Address

Dr. Ali Houshmand, President of Rowan University

10:45 AM - 11:00 AM ET

Break

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Building and Sustaining Chosen Family Amongst Low-income First-generation Engineers

Dr. Justin C. Major

Support is integral for low-income first-generation student success in and out of engineering, particularly because of the role support plays in building belonging. Students receive support from many individuals including their traditional and chosen families. While traditional family are those family “assigned at birth,” chosen family are those family you pick and choose, inclusive of teachers, friends, and others. Our research group’s (ASPIRE) extensive work on the topic has documented how chosen family come to be and why they are important for low-income first-generation success. Amongst many components, we have found that chosen family are more trustable given their authenticity and ability to connect emotionally. We believe every faculty member should strive to become a part of students’ chosen families. In this presentation, we talk about what a chosen family member is and the steps that faculty, staff, and students can take to build an emotionally responsive and supportive environment that helps all students belong. As part of a NSF-funded project (Award #2438112), we use examples that highlight these processes leaving attendees with actionable strategies. 

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

From First to Fearless: Lead Forward as a First-gen Student

Meredith Brown & Marcus White

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Our Stories, Our Strength: Exploring Identity and Leadership

Kimberly Valle & José Fernandez-Briot

This session centers students’ emotional wellness and active engagement in school, helping them build awareness and strategies to support their social and emotional development. Students and families will learn coping tools to manage stress, strengthen their sense of belonging, and access wellness resources. The session also celebrates students’ culture, language, and experiences as sources of strength and leadership, guiding them to reflect on their identities, recognize their leadership qualities, and gain confidence to lead in their schools and communities.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Beyond the Bachelor’s: Using a Pedagogy of Circles to Guide First-generation Undergraduates Into Graduate and Professional Studies

Sanjeevini “Sanjee” Badigar Lokhande, PhD

"Facilitation is essential for fostering student engagement and creating learning environments that support students’ developmental needs (Teaching as Facilitation, 2007). Within elite institutions, student positionalities—particularly for first-generation and limited-income students—can limit agency as they navigate pressures to pursue financially secure careers. These dynamics often constrain opportunities for reflection, dialogue, and holistic growth.

Grounded in Paulo Freire’s (2000) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, this session argues that dialogic learning is critical for promoting equitable student success. Intentional spaces where students speak, reflect, and co-construct knowledge can counter the silence experienced by students who internalize marginalized identities, by helping them cultivate voice and agency. Drawing from community circles in restorative practices and peer-supported workshops within student success and mentoring initiatives, I will share facilitation strategies that empower both students and peer educators to engage in reflective dialogue and build strengths-based microclimates of learning.

This interactive session will introduce participants to community circle facilitation and the power of storytelling within the shifting landscape of higher education. Participants will collaborate to adapt these practices to their own settings. Using worksheets and digital tools such as Miro, attendees will track co-constructed knowledge and design reflexive assessments. They will leave with practical strategies to foster reflection, agency, and community among first-generation students."

12:00 PM - 12:10 PM ET

Break

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET

Decoding College Admissions: GPA, Course Rigor, and Beyond (Behind the Desk of Admissons)

Charissa Burgos-Patel

This presentation is invitation-only (exclusive to counselors).

College admissions can feel opaque and overwhelming, particularly for first-generation students, families, and the educators who support them. This session provides an insider perspective on how colleges and universities holistically review applications, moving beyond surface-level metrics to evaluate academic preparation, context, and potential. Participants will gain clarity on how GPA trends, course rigor, and academic sequencing are assessed, including how institutions account for weighted versus unweighted GPAs and varying school contexts. The session also explores the role of standardized testing within test-optional environments, as well as how recommendation letters and personal statements communicate character, growth, and institutional fit. Designed to demystify admissions decision-making, this presentation equips practitioners with practical insights and language to better advise students, ask informed questions of institutions, and support intentional academic and application planning aligned with diverse student goals and pathways.

12:10 PM - 12:40 PM ET

Lunch

12:40 PM - 12:55 PM ET

Excellence Award

12:55 PM - 1:00 PM ET

Break

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET

Student Panel

Hope Campbell, Lauwinda Cherilus, Lu Grayson, Tiniah Perkins, Eric Williams

2:00 PM - 2:10 PM ET

Break

2:10 PM - 3:10 PM ET

Faculty Panel: Integrating Generative-AI To Empower First-generation College Students

Miles Coleman, PhD, John R. Dominy, Esquire, Michael Grove, PhD, Brooke Hoffman, PhD

2:10 PM - 3:10 PM ET

Refilling Your Tank: A Quick Look at Finding Your Motivation

Brett Pulliam, EdD

This presentation, Refilling your Tank: A quick look at finding your motivation, will serve as template that recognizes and validates the unique energy drain that comes with being a first-generation student—feelings like burnout, isolation, and apathy are real.

The presentation serves as an opportunity to offer actionable strategies to help refill your emotional tank and set you up for lasting success in your academic, personal, or professional life. The presentation will start by focusing on sharing in open dialogue and asking you to find your joy and to fuel your motivation through small, achievable daily wins.

The presentation will also attempt to help strip away the awkwardness of networking, showing you how to genuinely build a mentor network. As we conclude, the presentation will help you discover how to define your professional identity and stand out as a leader by translating your non-traditional journey’s inherent grit and resourcefulness into concrete professional qualities.

2:10 PM - 3:10 PM ET

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Students With Disabilities in Higher Education

Dr. Stephanie A.N. Levin & Becca Finley

2:10 PM - 3:10 PM ET

Innovation on a Dime: Implementing a Cost-Effective Summer Bridge Experience for First-gen Students

Alex Delgado, EdD

How can institutions design a high-impact summer bridge experience for first-generation students without a large budget? This workshop shares lessons learned from Middlesex College’s recent implementation of a cost-effective, 4-day first-gen summer success program that successfully supported student transition, belonging, and academic readiness. Developed with minimal funding, the program leveraged campus partnerships, faculty engagement, peer mentors, and the creative use of existing resources to strengthen first-generation students’ academic readiness, sense of belonging, and confidence as they entered college. Participants will explore practical strategies for designing affordable bridge programs, learn about lessons and outcomes from Middlesex College’s model, and identify adaptable approaches for their own campuses. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas, planning tools, and inspiration to launch or enhance a sustainable first-gen summer bridge program on any budget.

2:10 PM - 3:10 PM ET

Co-Creating Belonging: EngagED Strategies for Policy, Practice, and First-gen Graduate Success

Valerie Richmond, EdD, DJessica Luna- Garcia, Melinda Rossi

Grounded in distributive leadership, this session offers a practical blueprint to strengthen first-generation graduate and professional outcomes by aligning strategy, belonging, and policy. Building on Luna-Garcia et al.’s Un mentor positivo (2024), Richmond’s (2024) dissertation on community-engaged policy culture, and Richmond et al.’s Más que promesas (2024), we translate servingness into institutional routines and actionable structures that scale. Participants will learn how to enact equity-first strategic planning and policy advising (funding, authorship, leave, feedback cycles) that dismantle hidden-curriculum barriers. The session integrates EngagED’s Collective Word Praxis Model as a participatory design and evaluation cycle—linking policy to practices of persistence, time-to-degree, and career readiness. Participants leave with a ready-to-implement toolkit—including templates, facilitation scripts, and a 90-day action plan—to distribute leadership across faculty, staff, alumni, and students, ensuring that first-gen scholars don’t just persist—they thrive.

2:10 PM - 3:10 PM ET

First, Too: Building Community Between First-generation Students and Faculty

Dr. Stephanie Bobbitt, LPC & Nicole Pulliam, PhD

The First, Too initiative is an innovative, faculty-led, university-wide effort designed to support and celebrate first-generation (FG) college students and faculty. Developed to highlight the shared experiences of FG individuals who have transitioned from students to faculty members, the program fosters a strong sense of belonging and community across campus. By connecting FG students with FG faculty, the initiative provides mentorship, representation, and inspiration, emphasizing the value of being “first.”

While extensive research exists on FG students, there remains limited scholarship on FG faculty experiences. The available studies suggest that FG faculty often face similar challenges—such as impostor feelings, marginalization, and self-doubt—paralleling the experiences of FG students. The First, Too initiative addresses this gap by creating intentional spaces for connection, support, and mutual empowerment between these two groups.

This presentation, delivered in lecture format, will share the initiative’s development, outcomes, and broader impact. Attendees will engage in discussion and reflection about their own institutional efforts to support FG students and faculty, exploring ways to replicate and expand this model to strengthen first-generation communities on their campuses.

3:10 PM - 3:20 PM ET

Break

3:20 PM - 4:05 PM ET

Veterinary School, Graduate School, and Postdocs—Oh My! Navigating Higher Education and Beyond as a First-generation Student

Nora Jean Nealon, DVM, PhD

Applying to graduate and/or professional school can be intimidating for anyone- and this is especially true for first generation students. Not only have we navigated the unknowns of undergraduate education, but now we are challenging ourselves to raise the bar even higher for our family and pursue advanced degrees. During this talk, Dr. Nealon will share her reflections on applying to, navigating through, and launching her academic and clinical career as a first-generation woman DVM, PhD student. She will share her experiences in balancing family and work expectations while juggling the demanding responsibilities of graduate school, provide advice and resources in how to network and identify mentors, and discuss her experiences combating imposter syndrome, which is the “am I good enough to be here” feeling. Through all of these reflections, Dr. Nealon will dually highlight the amazing attributes that first-generation students innately have, which they can incorporate into their student and professional careers to shine and be an advocate for other underrepresented students.

3:20 PM - 4:05 PM ET

Rooted in Resilience

Nija Spencer & Elijah Blackwell

Rooted in Resilience is a suicide awareness and prevention presentation examining the intersections of mental health, identity, and belonging through the African American lens. This session highlights the unique challenges faced by Black students and communities, including the impact of systemic inequities, cultural stigma surrounding mental health, and the intergenerational transmission of trauma. At the same time, it emphasizes the strengths and resilience cultivated within these communities, reframing resilience not merely as survival, but as a pathway to thriving and collective empowerment.

By centering African American experiences, the presentation underscores the importance of culturally responsive approaches to mental health and the role of identity and belonging in suicide prevention. Participants will engage with evidence-informed coping strategies, self-care practices, and resource navigation, while also reflecting on the broader systemic factors that shape mental health outcomes.

Ultimately, Rooted in Resilience seeks to expand awareness, reduce stigma, and foster dialogue that affirms the lived experiences of Black students. It aims to equip participants with tools to support their own well-being, advocate for inclusive practices, and build communities where mental health is recognized as integral to leadership and future success.

3:20 PM - 4:05 PM ET

Addressing Unique Struggles Facing Transgender, Nonbinary, and Genderqueer First-gen Students

Dr. Arielle Catron

Sense of belonging is crucial to student success. This is all the more true for Transgender, Nonbinary, and Genderqueer (TNG) students. This presentation will address the unique realities faced by TNG first-gen students navigating the application process, adjusting to college, and moving toward graduation. Participants will better their understanding of the lived experiences of TNG students, and gain strategies to support their progress.

3:20 PM - 4:05 PM ET

Connected and Confident: Empowering First-generation Graduate Students

Dr. Joe Lizza

First-generation graduate students face distinct challenges navigating the academic, social, and professional demands of advanced education. Drawing on first-hand research at Rowan University and a review of existing literature, this work identified key needs and experiences that inspired the creation of a recognition and support initiative for these students.

This interactive session will share insights from the initiative’s findings and highlight Rowan’s efforts to foster inclusion, connection, and engagement among first-generation graduate students. It will also feature innovative practices from peer institutions to provide a broader view of effective, scalable strategies.

By examining both targeted supports and community-wide approaches, this session aims to spark collaboration, generate new ideas, and outline actionable steps to better empower first-generation graduate students in higher education.

3:20 PM - 4:05 PM ET

Advising Through the Myths: Supporting First-generation Students in Business Majors

Mathew Vasquez & Genesis Alves, MBA

First-generation college students entering business programs often face unique challenges and misconceptions about what it takes to succeed—believing they must have their careers fully mapped out, excel only in quantitative subjects, or fit a traditional image of a business professional. These assumptions can limit their confidence, engagement, and sense of belonging. This session will help participants recognize and address the distinct experiences of first-generation Business students while equipping them with strategies to foster leadership, confidence, and resilience. Participants will explore ways to reframe common myths, connect students to meaningful resources, and guide them in identifying their own strengths and values as drivers of success.
Participants will leave with practical tools and approaches to design advising experiences that inspire first-generation Business students to lead with purpose, embrace their potential, and create positive change in their academic and professional journeys.

Through discussion and practical examples, participants will learn how to:

• Dispel misconceptions about success and leadership in business education.
• Guide students in identifying their authentic leadership styles and goals.
• Connect first-generation students with resources and opportunities that foster confidence, community, and purpose.

3:20 PM - 4:05 PM ET

Empowering First-generation Students Through Digital Innovation

Dana Kemery, EdD

First-generation college students often face unique challenges, including limited access to institutional knowledge, financial constraints, and feelings of isolation. This session explores how AI-driven tools and digital platforms can transform outreach, instruction, and support for these learners, fostering equity and engagement. Participants will discover practical applications of technology such as adaptive learning systems, AI-powered tutoring, and predictive analytics that help to personalize learning and streamline student support. The session will also highlight strategies for designing curricula that reflect first-gen students’ lived experiences and cultural assets, promoting deeper academic success. Ethical considerations, including data privacy and equitable access, will be addressed to ensure responsible implementation. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for integrating tech-driven solutions into their teaching, learning, and advising practices, creating inclusive learning environments that empower first-gen students to thrive.

4:05 PM - 4:15 PM ET

Break

4:15 PM ET

Closing Remarks

Thursday Session Options