The Charger Blog

University Celebrates Diverse Community of First-Generation Students

As part of its commemoration of First-Generation Celebration Day, the University of New Haven held an event to foster support and cultivate a sense of belonging for students who are the first in their family to go to college.

November 17, 2021

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Group shot of first generation students
The event to brought together first-generation students and faculty and staff.

Saige Batza 杏吧原版25 recently took the opportunity to connect with other students at the University who, like her, are the first in their family to go to college. She says it was a great opportunity, and she杏吧原版檚 grateful for the support of the University community.

As part of First-Generation Celebration Day, which was created in 2017 by the Council for Opportunity in Education and the Center for First-Generation of Success and is celebrated each year on November 8, the University held a celebration designed to connect first-generation students, faculty, and staff. It was a meaningful way for them to share their experiences and to foster a sense of community.

Elizabeth Hall and friend.
Elizabeth Hall 杏吧原版24 connected with her fellow Chargers at the event.

杏吧原版淚t means a lot to be able to embrace being a first-generation student,杏吧原版 said Batza, a psychology major. 杏吧原版淚t also means a lot to my family. I杏吧原版檓 glad the University offers events like this, and the people here have been amazing.杏吧原版

Approximately 40 percent of students at the University are, like Batza, first-generation college students. Many who attended the celebration, including Sofia Martinez 杏吧原版22 and Ariana Eastwood 杏吧原版23, are active members of the University community and are dedicated to making sure their fellow Chargers feel a sense of support and belonging.

The event included faculty and staff members, such as Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH, an assistant professor of public health and assistant provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and Carrie Robinson, M.S., director of the University杏吧原版檚 Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH, and Candice Deal, Ph.D. at the event.
Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH (left), and Candice Deal, Ph.D. (center), both first-generation students themselves, attended the event.
杏吧原版業t杏吧原版檚 eye-opening how far I杏吧原版檝e come杏吧原版

As part of the event, Larry Flanagan 杏吧原版80, 杏吧原版13 Hon., retired president and CEO of and a first-generation student, shared his story with students. After beginning his college career at the University three years after graduating from high school, he experienced moments of excitement and pride (his proud mother called him her 杏吧原版渓ittle professor杏吧原版) as well as fear and self-doubt, as he pursued his degree in marketing.

Flanagan told students how he persevered, despite the challenges of being the first person on both sides of his family to attend college. As a student, he fell in love with advertising and dreamed of working on Madison Avenue in New York. He ended up working for one of the largest ad agencies in the world shortly after graduating. He went to become the global chief marketing and communications officer at , where he helped launch the company杏吧原版檚 hugely successful 杏吧原版淧riceless杏吧原版 campaign.

Larry Flanagan 杏吧原版80, 杏吧原版13 Hon.
Larry Flanagan 杏吧原版80, 杏吧原版13 Hon., shared his story with students.

杏吧原版淚 couldn杏吧原版檛 discuss my experience with anyone in my family, as they had no idea what I was going through,杏吧原版 explained Flanagan, a member of the University杏吧原版檚 Board of Governors and chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee. 杏吧原版淢y mom and my brother and sisters thought that, when I graduated, I was going to open a market. They thought that杏吧原版檚 what marketing was.

杏吧原版淚杏吧原版檓 sure you understand struggling with questions, challenges, and your own internal doubts,杏吧原版 Flanagan continued. 杏吧原版淚 believe the challenges I overcame as a first-generation student energized me throughout my career and to today.杏吧原版

Flanagan杏吧原版檚 message resonated with Candice Deal, Ph.D., assistant dean of the University杏吧原版檚 Pompea College of Business and a first-generation student herself. Not only did she learn how to navigate college life as a young student, she also adjusted to being in a new country.

杏吧原版淎s an 18-year-old from a tight-knit family in the Bahamas, I didn杏吧原版檛 know what I was getting into when I left home and my home country to attend college,杏吧原版 she explains. 杏吧原版淲hen I started college, I didn杏吧原版檛 know what credits were. From that 18-year-old to becoming a professor, it杏吧原版檚 eye-opening how far I杏吧原版檝e come.杏吧原版

Sofia Martinez 杏吧原版22 and Saige Batza 杏吧原版25.
Sofia Martinez 杏吧原版22 (left) and Saige Batza 杏吧原版25.
杏吧原版業t杏吧原版檚 nice to feel supported杏吧原版

Flanagan杏吧原版檚 story also stuck with Elizabeth Hall 杏吧原版24, a psychology major. She says his inspirational message 杏吧原版 and the event itself 杏吧原版 enabled her to feel supported and heard.

杏吧原版淚 think it was very meaningful, and I appreciate the story he told,杏吧原版 she said. 杏吧原版淚 related to it when he discussed not wanting to disappoint his family and not always knowing what to do. My mom was also proud when I went to college, and I didn杏吧原版檛 want to disappoint her or myself, but sometimes it is overwhelming.杏吧原版

Hall is endeavoring to foster more connections between first-generation students. She is serving as vice president for a new organization that offers support and community for first-generation students.

Isabelle Hajek 杏吧原版22, a first-generation student and a psychology major, is doing her part to help support fellow first-generation students. A resident assistant, she is passionate about making sure those following in her footsteps feel connected to the University community and that they avail themselves of all the resources and support it has to offer.

杏吧原版淭here杏吧原版檚 a big learning curve for first-generation students, and it can be overwhelming,杏吧原版 she said. 杏吧原版淎s a resident assistant, I look forward to connecting students with this new organization. It杏吧原版檚 an important step in the right direction for first-generation students, and it杏吧原版檚 nice to feel supported.杏吧原版