In the month of November, NMSU will host the third annual First-Generation Celebration with events and spotlights honoring students and graduates who are the first in their families to attend a higher education institution.
“First-generation college students face many challenges, and they need to know that they are not alone at NMSU,” said Rosa De La Torre-Burmeister, TRIO Upward Bound program director and a first-generation graduate who understands the experience and feelings many first-generation student may have.
“Now, I realize that I was not alone; many others felt the same way,” she said. “This is why the first-generation team is putting together NMSU’s third annual First-Generation Celebration. It takes a village of awesome colleagues who have a passion and a big heart for first-generation students and their success.”
The festivities begin with the NMSU first-gen celebrity spotlight during the first two weeks of November. From Nov. 8-19, an NMSU faculty or staff member will be featured in the NMSU student and staff Hotline newsletters and on social media. Nominations and self nominations are accepted at https://forms.gle/
“This celebration of our first-generation students, faculty and employees reaffirms our commitment to NMSU’s mission as a land-grant, Hispanic-Serving and Minority-Serving institution,” said NMSU President John Floros. “This year’s celebration includes a call for everybody to not just show up, but to act by signing up as a mentor for a first-generation student.”
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 15, the first-gen table will be setup in Corbett Center Student Union, first floor lobby, to offer first-generation information, flyers, buttons and cookies.
A new event this year, the Aggie Mentor Mashup will be from 2 to 3 p.m. Nov. 17 on Zoom. The systemwide event allows first-generation college students to meet first-generation faculty and staff members in a short time period.
“The main purpose behind the Aggie Mentor Mashup is to provide a safe space where mentees, first-generation college students, can match up with a mentor, faculty or staff member, who will help them through their academic years at NMSU,” De La Torre-Burmeister said.
The Aggie Mentor Mashup will include three-minute breakout sessions with mentors sharing stories and successes with students. The objective is to match mentors and mentees to make a professional connection and maintain a mentorship relationship that supports student persistence and graduation.
Author: Tiffany Acosta
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