Finding Their Way

     

Four different students. Four different paths. We spoke with Cris, Jasmine, Stephanie, and Vivian

about their experiences accessing resources as First Generation students at UGA.

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 Our research team was tasked with telling the stories of our diverse student body by the Office of Institutional Diversity. We set out to tell a story about the unique challenges and experiences of first-generation students at the University of Georgia. Along the way, we discovered a wealth of resources geared towards these students housed within the Division of Academic Enhancement. We began to wonder how first-generation students got connected to this office and all they had to offer, so we embarked on a mission to get stories from the involved actors themselves.

     We started with the official narratives. We spoke with Lindsay Coco, who coordinates the Coca-Cola Scholars program. This program is one of the most comprehensive opportunities for UGA’s first-generation college students. Their eligibility for this scholarship is recognized by the offices of financial aid and admissions, who then forward their information to Lindsay Coco. So before students even attend orientation, they have support. This is especially important for a group of students whose parents often cannot assist them with the collegiate process. The students who are in this program attend retreats, receive mentoring from both faculty & peers, and also enroll in a course that connects them with tools to facilitate a successful college career.

     While this is the ideal path, it is not the most common. Brandon Gordon shared with us how the program he coordinates, TRIO, also provides many resources and how the coordinators reach eligible students. He said that he would attend conferences and visit high schools, where others would refer him to incoming UGA students. Even after students have decided to attend UGA, the program employs a variety of strategies to connect students to their resources. They present at orientation, send out an email to Pell grant recipients, host workshops, campaign on social media, and the list goes on. Some students connect through these avenues or others; however, there are still some first-generation students who never make it to the Division of Academic Enhancement.