Annual First-Generation College Celebration
What is First-Generation College Celebration?
An annual opportunity to raise awareness of the first-generation college student identity by advancing an asset-based, national narrative of these students’ experiences and outcomes.
Since the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and FirstGen Forward (FGF, formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success) hosted the inaugural celebration in 2017, hundreds of higher education institutions, corporations, government officials, non-profits, and K-12 schools have joined together in recognizing the achievements of the first-gen community on and around November 8.
FGCC strives not only to celebrate first-gen students’ contributions to their communities but also to occasion systemic social change by dismantling barriers to first-generation student success. Through this intentional advocacy focus, FGCC engages key constituencies in building upon the work left unfinished by the HEA.
Why Celebrate on November 8?
FGCC is celebrated annually on November 8 to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act (“HEA”) of 1965 by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson. This act created federal financial aid programs to fund students’ educations and made key investments in colleges and universities. Many of the HEA’s programs, particularly the Federal TRIO programs, promote postsecondary access, retention, and completion for today’s limited-income, first-generation college students.
2025 events:
Trailblazers Resource Fair: Cornell First-Gen College Celebration Day
Fri, Nov 7, 2025, 1-3pm, Willard Straight Hall Browsing Library
Visit the event website here
FGLI Student Support invites all Cornell undergraduate and graduate/professional students who are the first in their family to pursue a 4-year degree to join us for a resource fair in honor of National First-Gen College Celebration Day!
The National First-Generation College Celebration was established in 2017 by the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and the Center for First-Generation Student Success to recognize the achievements and contributions of first-generation college students. At Cornell, we join in this national celebration by recognizing the resilience, accomplishments, and voices of first-generation students at Cornell while connecting them to campus partners, peers, and resources that continue to support their academic, personal, and professional growth.
Past events:
2024: Trailblazers Conference
Sat, Nov 9, 2024, 9am-5pm, Willard Straight Hall
Visit the event website here
In honor of First-Generation Celebration Day, the FGLI office hosted a conference for first-gen students! This was a chance to meet peers, find community, be celebrated and learn about all the resources available on campus. This full-day event featured keynote speaker Anthony Abraham Jack and sessions on essential topics such as financial literacy, networking, life skills, mental well-being and career building.
Check out the recap on Instagram here!