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F1RST GEN HILLTOPPERS

F1RST GEN HILLTOPPERS


Who Are First-Generation Hilltoppers?

 

First Generation LogoWestern Kentucky University defines First Generation as “neither parent graduated from a traditional four-year college.” It does not mean that you are the first one in your family to attend college. In addition, a student is considered "first generation" if the student's parents graduated with an associate's degree (two-year degree), attended college but did not graduate, or had a sibling graduate with a bachelor's degree.

 

We are excited that you are interested in the Climb With Us! As a First Generation student, you are already demonstrating your resilience and resourcefulness, but we all know the climb can be steep.  Think of the resources and engagement opportunities on this page as climbing tools that can help you reach the Top and benefit you even after graduation.

4,000+
First Generation
Students Enrolled
31%
of WKU Students
are First Generation
150+
First Gen Faculty
and Staff Advocates

 

How Do I Prepare for WKU?

 


 

What F1rst Gen Programs Are Available?

 

High School Summer Camp

For high school students who will be first-generation college students. Live and eat on campus, meet other first-gen students, and sample the college experience. More information and the interest form link is on the camp webpage.

Living Learning Community

The F1rstGen LLC is for incoming first-time, first-year WKU students.  Students who are unsure of their major are preferred. More information and link to housing application is on the LLC webpage.

Mentorship Program

At the beginning of each semester, students will be matched with a student, faculty/staff, or alumni success coach who can provide guidance and encouragement. You may prepare for your profession or grad school; develop career or study skills; and much more. 

 

Make It Count

All students are welcome at our workshops and social events. See the Upcoming Events list for details. First-gen students can track participation in events and other selected activities in Suitable to earn points toward completion grant eligibility.

National First Gen Celebration Week

Join us as we raise awareness for the first generation experience each November. Our National Celebration activities include the First Gen Alumni-in-Residence program in cooperation with the WKU Alumni Association and the academic colleges.

F1rst 2 the Hill Academy

Begin in your second year, continue till you graduate! Participants in this cohort program receive career skills training, mentors, scholarship opportunities, and more. There is NO cost for participants.  Sign up at the end of your first year.


Student Spotlight

 

Htee Shee Paw

Why did you get involved with the First Gen Program?

In 2009, we moved to America to escape war and ethnic persecution. Growing up, I witnessed the immense sacrifices my parents made to provide my two brothers and me with a better life. My mom worked as a nurse, and my dad served in the military before we moved. They instilled in us the importance of education, perseverance, and faith. College was challenging, and at times, I felt like an impostor. During my freshman year, when I had college-related questions, there wasn't anyone I could immediately turn to for help. The larger college environment made it harder to connect with others, and I struggled with the lack of structure and the uncertainty of navigating higher education.  Read more...

Htee Shee Portrait


What Other Resources Are Provided?

 

Click on the column headers to sort the list.

First Name Last Name WKU Email Position/Title Unit/Department First-generation student?
Chuck Clark chuck.clark@wku.edu Director Student Publications, Office of Yes
Amy Cardwell amy.cardwell@wku.edu Director, International Recruitment & Admissions Global Learning & International Affairs Yes
Aurelia Spaulding aurelia.spaulding@wku.edu Assistant Director for Marketing Communications Communications and Marketing

Yes

Fabian Alvarez fabian.alvarez@wku.edu Assistant Professor English

Yes

Jimmie Martin jimmie.martin@wku.edu Project Director, Student Support Services, Disabilities TRiO Programs Yes
Rita Samaras rita.samaras@wku.edu Manager, Budgets & Resources Global Learning & International Affairs Yes
Jeremy Logsdon jeremy.logsdon@wku.edu Assistant Professor, Director of Center for Literacy Teacher Education, School of Yes
Brittney Vickous brittney.vickous@wku.edu Clinical Assistant Professor, Externship Coordinator Communication Sciences and Disorders Yes
Nancy Dinan nancy.dinan@wku.edu Assistant Professor English Yes
Lawrence Hill lawrence.hill@wku.edu Assistant Professor Chemistry Yes
Raymond Poff raymond.poff@wku.edu Professor, Recreation, Park, and Nonprofit Administration Kinesiology, Recreation, & Sport, School of Yes
Ritchie Taylor ritchie.taylor@wku.edu Professor and CHHS Faculty Fellow for Research and Creative Activity Public Health Yes
Tyler Clark thomas.clark@wku.edu Assistant Director of Operations Center for Gifted Studies, The Yes
Peggy Crowe peggy.crowe@wku.edu Director Counseling Center & Student Accessibility Resource Center Yes
Dawn Garrett-Wright dawn.garrett@wku.edu Professor Nursing and Allied Health, School of Yes
Cameron Carr-Calvert cameron.carr-calvert@wku.edu Health Careers & Education Specialist South Central Kentucky Area Health Education Center Yes
Julie Lee julie.lee@wku.edu Instructor II Applied Human Sciences Advocate
Dawn Winters dawn.winters@wku.edu Instructor English Yes
Shauna Jones shauna.jones@wku.edu Residence Hall Director Housing & Residence Life Yes
Mary Bennett mary.bennett@wku.edu Director Nursing and Allied Health, School of Yes
Cathleen Webb cathleen.webb@wku.edu Associate Dean Ogden College of Science and Engineering Yes
Denise Hardesty denise.hardesty@wku.edu Director, Educational Talent Search 3 TRiO Programs

Yes

Cort Basham cortney.basham@wku.edu Pedagogical Assistant Professor; Unit Leader, Interdisciplinary Studies Leadership and Professional Studies, School of

Yes

Tammy Younglove tammy.younglove@wku.edu AV Support Engineer, IOPS Information Technology Services

Yes

Whitney Peake whitney.peake@wku.edu Chair; Vitale Professor of Entrepreneurship Management

Yes

Michelle Elkins michelle.elkins@wku.edu Director, Kelly Autism Program Clinical Education Complex

Yes

Trini Stickle trini.stickle@wku.edu Associate Professor; TESL and Graduate Program Advisor English

Yes

Amy Wininger amy.wininger@wku.edu Student Wellness Navigator Health and Human Services, College of

Yes

WesleyAnne (Wes) Watkins wesleyanne.watkins@wku.edu Specialist, Global Learning Student Services Global Learning & International Affairs

Advocate

Derick Strode derick.strode@wku.edu Director Regional Campuses; Dual Credit

Yes

Tania Basta tania.basta@wku.edu Dean Health and Human Services, College of

Advocate

Sarah Bonis sarah.bonis@wku.edu Assistant Professor Psychology

Yes

Molly Kerby molly.kerby@wku.edu Assistant Provost, Institutional Effectiveness Academic Affairs & Provost's Office

Yes

Wren Mills wren.mills@wku.edu Assistant Professor Leadership and Professional Studies, School of

Advocate

Jason Wilson jason.wilson@wku.edu Instructor Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of

Yes

Toni Dye toni.dye@wku.edu Director, Global Learning Advising and Student Services Global Learning & International Affairs

Yes

Leslie North leslie.north@wku.edu Chair, EEAS; WKU Director of Sustainability Earth, Environmental, & Atmospheric Sciences

Yes

Amy Combs amy.combs@wku.edu Director of Development Public Media

Yes

Liz Sturgeon liz.sturgeon@wku.edu Assistant Director, Professor Nursing and Allied Health, School of

Advocate

Rodney King rodney.king@wku.edu University Distinguished Professor Biology

Yes

David Brown david.brown@wku.edu Dean Ogden College of Science and Engineering

Yes

Nikki Roof nikki.roof@wku.edu Creamery Technician, Agriculture Research Education Center Agriculture & Food Science

Yes

Tanya Vincent tanya.vincent@wku.edu Program Manager Online Student Services

Yes

Jason Boyles jason.boyles@wku.edu Instructor II Physics and Astronomy

Yes

Evelyn Thrasher evelyn.thrasher@wku.edu Interim Dean Gordon Ford College of Business

Yes

Leigh Ann Wells leigh.wells@wku.edu Instructor Mathematics

Yes

Inmaculada Pertusa inma.pertusa@wku.edu Professor, Spanish Modern Languages

Yes

Dan Clark daniel.clark@wku.edu Assistant Professor Mathematics

Yes

Patrick Brown patrick.brown@wku.edu Instructor Mathematics

Yes

Kevin Williams kevin.williams@wku.edu Professor and Chair Chemistry

Advocate

Greg Strange greg.strange@wku.edu Instructor, Ceramics Art & Design

Yes

Jennifer Holland jennifer.holland@wku.edu Specialist, Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement

Yes

Jessica Basham jessica.basham@wku.edu Communications Specialist Education and Behavioral Sciences, College of

Yes

Marya Davis Turley maryadavis.turley@wku.edu Instructor English

Yes

Natalie Tyree natalie.tyree@wku.edu Assistant Professor, Graphic Design Art & Design

Yes

Cyndia Tarrence cyndia.tarrence@wku.edu Office Associate Media & Communication, School of

Yes

Joseph Shankweiler josephj.shankweiler@wku.edu Associate Professor Libraries

Yes

Daniel Boamah daniel.boamah@wku.edu Assistant Professor Social Work

Yes

Mindy Hutchins mindy.hutchins@wku.edu Sr. Analyst Human Resources

Yes

Brian Brausch brian.brausch@wku.edu Executive Director, TRiO Programs; Director, ETS2 TRiO and Enrollment and Student Experience Advocate
Kathy Foushee kathryn.foushee@wku.edu Interlibrary Loan Specialist, Access Services Libraries Yes
Andria Henry andria.henry@wku.edu Office Associate Management Yes
Anthony McAdoo anthony.mcadoo@wku.edu Executive Director, Alumni Engagement Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Yes
Rodney Hounshell II rodney.hounshell@wku.edu Inventory Control Coordinator Supply Chain Management Yes
Jean Dominique Gumirakiza dominique.gumirakiza@wku.edu Associate Professor Agriculture & Food Science Yes
Pitt Derryberry pitt.derryberry@wku.edu Professor, Co-Department Chair Psychology Advocate
Becky Gilfillen becky.gilfillen@wku.edu Professor Agriculture & Food Science Yes
Melinda Edgerton melinda.edgerton@wku.edu Program Manager, Chinese Flagship Program Modern Languages Yes
Heather Stuart heather.stuart@wku.edu Assistant Director, Retention Programs Advising & Career Development Center Yes
Micah Logan micah.logan@wku.edu Associate Director Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning Advocate
Katie Carpenter katie.carpenter@wku.edu Coordinator, Counseling & Outreach Student Financial Assistance Advocate
Marrissa Bryant marrissa.bryant@wku.edu Associate Director, Academic Advising Advising & Career Development Center Yes
Mark Schafer mark.schafer@wku.edu Associate Professor, Exercise Science Kinesiology, Recreation, & Sport, School of Yes
Andrea Paganelli andrea.paganelli@wku.edu Associate Professor, Graduate Program Coordinator Teacher Education, School of Yes
Jason Polk jason.polk@wku.edu Professor Earth, Environmental, & Atmospheric Sciences Yes
April McCauley april.mccauley@wku.edu Academic Program Specialist Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning Yes
Tanja Bibbs bibbstn@wku.edu Assistant Professor and Unit Leader, Organizational Leadership Leadership and Professional Studies, School of Yes
Monica Hines monica.hines@wku.edu BSW Instructor Social Work Yes
Stacy Bibelhauser stacy.bibelhauser@wku.edu Associate Professor Accounting Yes
Kathy Bailey kathy.bailey@wku.edu Coordinator, Verification & Processing Student Financial Assistance Yes
Ashley Taylor ashley.taylor@wku.edu Assistant Director, Alumni Relations & Outreach Gatton Academy of Math and Science Yes
Cory Dodds cory.dodds@wku.edu Specialist, STEM Scholarhips & External Research Scholar Development, Office of Yes
Mary Bidwell mary.bidwell@wku.edu Digital Media Content Specialist Communications and Marketing Yes
Amanda Trabue amanda.trabue@wku.edu VP, Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Advocate
Katrina Burch katrina.burch@wku.edu Associate Professor Psychological Sciences Yes
Sara McCaslin sara.mccaslin@wku.edu Assistant Professor, Library Public Services Libraries Yes
Samantha Shemwell samantha.shemwell@wku.edu Coordinator, Research and Graduate Education Outreach Research and Creative Activity, Office of Yes
Anthony Mancini anthony.mancini@wku.edu Clinical Assistant Professor Physical Therapy, Doctor of Yes
Destiny O'Rourke destiny.orourke@wku.edu Director, Student Support Services TRIO Programs Yes
Taylor Wright taylor.wright@wku.edu Program Manager for Independent Living LifeWorks@WKU Yes
Ayaka Hisanaga-Probst ayaka.hisanaga-probst@wku.edu Assistant Professor Psychology Yes
Todd Seguin todd.seguin@wku.edu Assistant Professor, Library Public Services Libraries Yes
Simran Banga simran.banga@wku.edu Assistant Professor Biology Yes
Marliese Belt marliese.belt@wku.edu Coordinator, Student Support Services and Budget TRIO Programs Advocate
Jodie Dunkelberger jodie.dunkelberger@wku.edu Adjunct Professor Nursing and Allied Health, School of Yes
Robin Ayers robin.ayers@wku.edu Instructor II Mathematics Yes
Ray Blankenship ray.blankenship@wku.edu Chair/Professor Analytics & Information Systems Yes
Bob Hatfield bob.hatfield@wku.edu Professor Management Yes
Nicholas Barth nicholas.barth@wku.edu Global Learning Advisor Global Learning & International Affairs Yes
Ryan Jones ryan.jones@wku.edu Academic Advisor, Ogden College Advising & Career Development Center Advocate
Emily Sutton emily.pride@wku.edu Health Careers and Education Specialist South Central Kentucky Area Health Education Center Advocate
Andrew Adler andrew.adler@wku.edu Chair, Library Collections & Discovery Libraries Yes
Jean Chen yuchun.chen@wku.edu Associate Professor Kinesiology, Recreation & Sport, School of Yes
Taylor Davis taylor.davis@wku.edu Professional-in-Residence Media & Communication, School of Yes
Angela Nagel angela.nagel@wku.edu Visiting Assistant Professor Teacher Education, School of Yes
Tammy Dorris tammy.dorris@wku.edu Specialist, Online Student Services and Outreach Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning Yes
Kassy Sweeney kassy.sweeney@wku.edu Senior Academic Advisor Advising & Career Development Center Advocate
Jamie Garden jamie.garden@wku.edu Counselor Gatton Academy of Math and Science Yes
Ashley Edwards ashley.edwards@wku.edu Student Services Coordinator Potter College of Arts & Letters Yes
Terrance Brown terrance.brown@wku.edu Dean Potter College of Arts & Letters Yes
Suzanne Thomas suzanne.thomas@wku.edu Coordinator, Veteran Student Success Military Student Services Yes
Eric Browning eric.browning@wku.edu Director, Clinical and Simulation Laboratory Nursing and Allied Health, School of Yes
Katie Bush kathleen.bush@wku.edu Manager, Global Programming and Student Services Global Learning & International Affairs Advocate
Tracy Jenkins tracy.jenkins@wku.edu Pedagogical Assistant Professor Nursing and Allied Health, School of Yes
Terry Dean terry.dean@wku.edu Associate Professor, Dental Hygiene Nursing and Allied Health, School of Yes
Carnetta Skipworth carnetta.skipworth@wku.edu Associate Professor Chemistry Yes
Stuart Burris stuart.burris@wku.edu Associate Dean Ogden College of Science & Engineering Yes
Michelle Jackson michelle.jackson@wku.edu Associate Professor Mathematics Yes
Matt Pruitt matt.pruitt@wku.edu Professor Sociology & Criminology Advocate
Lindsey Houchin lindsey.houchin@wku.edu Assistant Director Scholar Development, Office of Advocate
Cassandra Rebman cassandra.rebman@wku.edu Instructor and Studio Technician, Sculpture Art & Design Advocate
Samantha Sparrow Williams samantha.williams@wku.edu Instructor English Yes
Tori Palmore tori.palmore@wku.edu Instructor 1 English Yes
Cierra Waller cierra.waller@wku.edu Associate Director, Student Success Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning Yes
Nina Marijanovic nina.marijanovic@wku.edu Assistant Director, Enrollment and Brand Management Mahurin Honors College Yes
Catie Weaver catie.weaver@wku.edu Instructional Designer II Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning Yes
Donielle Heron-Lovell donielle.lovell@wku.edu Associate Professor Sociology & Criminology Yes
Marcus Brooks marcus.brooks@wku.edu Assistant Professor Sociology & Criminology Yes
Marissa Bruce marissa.bruce@wku.edu Academic Advisor, Gordon Ford College of Business Advising & Career Development Center Advocate
Paige Hiltner paige.hiltner@wku.edu Senior Academic Advisor, Ogden College of Science and Engineering Advising & Career Development Center Yes
Christopher Jensen christopher.jensen@wku.edu AVP for Student Success Advising & Career Development Center Advocate
Crystal Bufano crystal.bufano@wku.edu Academic Advisor, Ogden College of Science and Engineering Advising & Career Development Center Yes
Scott Clarke scott.clarke@wku.edu Assistant Professor, Broadcasting Media & Communication, School of Yes
Rhonda Jones rhonda.jones@wku.edu Office Coordinator Counseling & Student Affairs Yes
Masami Matsuyuki masami.matsuyuki@wku.edu Staff Psychologist/Training Coordinator Counseling Center  
Elias Thompson elias.thompson@wku.edu Academic Advisor Advising & Career Development Center Advocate
Rachel Green rachel.green@wku.edu Visiting Instructor, Rec, Park & Nonprofit Admin Kinesiology, Recreation & Sport, School of Advocate
Bethany Smith bethany.smith@wku.edu Director, Educational Opportunity Centers TRIO Programs Yes
Laura Hudson laura.hudson@wku.edu Assistant Professor Leadership and Professional Studies, School of Yes
John Martin john.martin@wku.edu Senior Instructor Music Yes
John-Mark Francis john-mark.francis@wku.edu Asst. Vice President for Marketing & Brand Strategy Communications and Marketing Yes
Gary Hughes gary.hughes@wku.edu Senior Instructor Media & Communication, School of Yes
Bertena Varney bertena.varney@wku.edu Senior Academic Advisor, PCAL Advising & Career Development Center Yes
Brooke Gross brooke.gross@wku.edu Assistant Professor, Health Services Librarian WKU Libraries Advocate
Todd Noffsinger todd.noffsinger@wku.edu Clinical Director Talley Family Counseling Center Advocate
Leigh Johnson leigh.johnson@wku.edu Instructor English Advocate
Trish Jaggers trish.jaggers@wku.edu Associate Professor English Yes
Nikki Wilcox nikki.wilcox@wku.edu Specialist, University NAGPRA Folk Studies & Anthropology Yes
E Myo Zin emyo.zin@wku.edu Academic Advisor Mahurin Honors College Yes
Michelle Jones michelle.jones@wku.edu Pedagogical Associate Professor Mathematics Yes
Cara Cordell cara.cordell@wku.edu Office Coordinator, Undergraduate Student Services & Tutoring Center Gordon Ford College of Business Student Success Yes
Yvonne Abrego Natoli yvonne.abregonatoli@wku.edu Assistant Director Sponsored Programs, Office of

Yes

Ali Er ali.er@wku.edu Associate Professor, Director of Laser Research Lab, Biophysics Minor Coordinator Physics & Astronomy  
Cindy Smith cindy.smith@wku.edu Administrative Specialist and Compliance Assistant Institutional Equity, Office of  
Chantel Wilson chantel.wilson@wku.edu Institutional Equity Specialist and ADA Coordinator Institutional Equity, Office of Yes
Ajay Srivastava ajay.srivastava@wku.edu Professor-Associate Director, Applied Research and Technology Program Biology Advocate
Margaret Glaser margaret.glaser@wku.edu Assistant Director Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement Advocate
Terminology Definitions and Tips
Provost Chief academic officer of the university, Dr. Bud Fischer.  Reports directly to the President.
Faculty University employees who teach classes, conduct research, and perform services such as advising student groups and working on committees.  Tip: If in doubt, call them Professor.  Call them Doctor if they have earned a Ph.D., Ed.D, or other doctoral level degree.
Office Hours (aka Student Hours) The time a faculty person sets aside to be available to students outside of class.  Tip: Use office hours to get to know your professor. Don't wait until you have a problem!
First-generation WKU Student Neither of the student's parents/guardians has a four-year, or higher, college degree from an accredited university or college in the United States.
Registrar Maintains all academic records, current and past.  This includes registration for courses, grades, degree programs, approving graduation eligibility, and transcripts.
College There are five academic colleges within Western Kentucky University: PCAL, OCSE, CHHS, GFCB, and CEBS.  Each academic college is led by a Dean.
Academic Standing A "C" average (GPA 2.0) or better is required to be in "good" academic standing.  You must be in good academic standing to receive federal financial assistance. Tip: Some programs require higher than "C" average.  Aim high, especially in your major!
Dean The leader of an academic college. At WKU this includes: PCAL, OCSE, CHHS, GFCB, and CEBS. Also, Dean of Libraries and Dean of Students.
Drop/Add The time during the beginning of a semester when courses can be dropped or added without a penalty.
Plagiarism Presenting someone else's ideas as your own.  Tip: Don't do it!
Syllabus A document that outlines the essential information about a college course.  Tip: review the course syllabus early and note important dates on your calendar!  Return to the syllabus throughout the semester, as needed.
Student Ombuds Officer An impartial point of contact for students who have questions about university policies.
President The university's chief executive officer.  Reports to the Board of Regents.
Staff Staff are university employees working in offices, taking care of buildings, and serving students across campus.  "Faculty" and "Staff" are considered two separate classifications, but some staff members also teach courses.
Advisor A designated faculty or staff member who helps a student choose and register for classes and select an overall course of study.
Blackboard This is the Learning Management System (LMS) used by WKU faculty to house course information, assignments, and grades.  Tip:  How Blackboard is used by a particular faculty person can vary.  Be sure to log in early and be familiar with each course!
FERPA The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects student information.  This means that your information can only be shared with "non-essential" individuals, including your parents, with your written consent.
Financial Assistance Financial assistance or financial aid includes grants and scholarships (money you don't pay back), loans (money you pay back with interest), and money you can earn (stipends and work-study).  Tip: Complete your FAFSA every year to help ensure that you receive the maximum amount of financial assistance.
Major The area of study that you choose to pursue. Each major includes a list of courses and a minimum number of overall course hours to take.  (Note:  The number of hours required for a specific major will count toward the requirement to have 120 course hours in order to graduate.)
General Education At WKU, the general education program is The Colonnade Program.  General education is a part of all accredited four-year/Bachelor's degrees.  The program is designed to ensure that each student has foundational skills, knowledge, and perspective to be an effective professional and better citizen.
Matriculate To enroll at a college or university as a degree-seeking student.

You can read the spring 2024 Professional Learning Community (PLC) book online for free courtesy of WKU Libraries.  Read it all, or select the chapters and critical conversations of interest to you.
Book: At the Intersection: Understanding and Supporting First-Generation Students 
Editors: Robert Longwell-Grice and Hope Longwell-Grice

WKU Libraries FirstGen Research Guide
This research guide is divided into the following categories:  Best Practices for Teaching, Background Reading, and Resources for Students.

FirstGen Forward Network
Click on the "Journal & Research" and " Engagement" links to see the extensive array of information available.  The Network also offers opportunities to attend conferences and webinars.

Sample Syllabus Wording
Consider including a statement on your syllabus indicating your advocacy for first-generation students.  If desired, the following statement can be used verbatim or with adjustments to better represent your voice and plans for students. For more syllabus tips, contact WKU CITL or refer to Designing a Motivational Syllabus (Harrington and Thomas, 2018)

If you are a first-generation college student, at WKU this is defined as someone whose parents or legal guardian did not graduate from a traditional four-year college, then you may face a unique set of challenges or have questions that may not seem to apply to other students. I want you to know that this is completely normal and I am here to support you! If you have questions about our class or about WKU in general, please contact me or visit with me in office hours. Again, I am here to support you and am excited to see you succeed at WKU!

Faculty, Staff, and Students may request a t-shirt, F1rstGen sticker, and F1rstGen Family sticker by using the webform on this page.

Email Signature Graphics
Show your support for first-generation students by adding a graphic to your email signature. Click image to download.

Email Signature Graphic     Email Signature Graphic

Email Signature Graphic     Email Signature Graphic

Zoom Backgrounds
Show your support for first-generation students by using a first-generation advocate Zoom background during your next meeting. Click image to download.

Zoom background graphic      Zoom background graphic

F1rstGen Leadership Team (faculty and staff)

Cierra Waller - CITL Student Success, F1rst 2 the Hill Academy (F2HA)
April McCauley - CITL Student Success, F1rstGen LLC
Destiny O’Rourke - TRIO-SSS
LaMario Moore - Intercultural Student Engagement Center  
Cara Cordell - GFCB Student Success
Dr. Dawn Winters - PCAL Faculty, Department of English
Jeremy Logsdon - CEBS Faculty, School of Teacher Education
Tammy Dorris - WKU Online Student Services
pending - CHHS Student Wellness Navigator 
Wayne Simpson - Career Development Center 
Zach Marcum - Alumni Association liaison  

F1rstGen Student Leadership

Alyssa Fisk - Ambassador, Event Planning Committee Chair
Camryn Douglas - Ambassador, Event Planning Committee
Htee Shee Paw - Ambassador, Promo and Marketing Committee Chair, Student Org Exploratory Committee
Jessie Puii - Promo and Marketing Committee
Kania Sims - Event Planning Committee
Lejla Guhdija - Ambassador, Leadership Team Student Representative
Maahi Patel - Event Planning Committee
Makiyah Morrow - Ambassador, Student Org Exploratory Committee
Marquavis Baker - Ambassador, Mentorship Program Committee
Melanie Mora-Arce - Ambassador, Promo and Marketing Committee, Mentorship Program Committee
Peter Aung - Ambassador, Student Org Exploratory Committee Chair, Leadership Team Student Representative
Sandy Cruz - Ambassador, Promo and Marketing Committee, Leadership Team Student Representative
Talaya Guest - Ambassador, Promo and Marketing Committee
, Event Planning Committee

Competencies

F1rstGen programming strives to build the following competencies.  These competencies mesh the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies with the skills needed to excel as part of the WKU student body.

  • Career & Professional Development
  • Communication & Community Building
  • Personal Development & Well-being
  • Leadership & Service
  • Academic Engagement & Achievement

FirstGen Forward Network Member

We are excited to be reaffirmed as part of the FirstGen FORWARD Network.  This organization, previously known as the Center for First-Generation Student Success, is dedicated to raising awareness and opportunities for first-generation students nationwide.  The First Scholars Network offers a national model for scaling holistic first-generation student success by engaging and empowering higher education institutions to transform the first-generation student experience, advance academic and co-curricular outcomes, and build more inclusive institutional structures.

FirstGen Forward Logo

Alumni-in-Residence Program received 2024 Circle of Excellence Award from CASE

The WKU Alumni Association and its partners in the Office of the Provost, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning and each academic college have been honored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) with a Silver award in the category of Leadership: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives for the First Generation Alumni in Residence Program launched in November 2023.

 

F1rstGen Programs Highlighted in the WKU Spirit Magazine

 

 


Interested in Learning More?

 

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Larissa Frisby

Hometown Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Major Chinese and Biology

Do you have any advice for First-Gen Students? 

Embrace the challenges you will inevitably face during your university journey. It took me numerous setbacks to recognize my limitations and learn the importance of reaching out for support.

"I am first gen, and my experiences in University have shaped my perspective on education and opportunity."

Larissa Frisby Portrait

 

 

 

 

 

 


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 Last Modified 2/13/25