Central Bridge to celebrate First-Generation Students Week with event series
First year the event series will take place at CMU
Central Bridge, an organization that advocates for students who are the first in their family to attend college, will celebrate First-Generation College Students Week for the first time at Central Michigan University.
From April 11-15, the organization will host five events on CMU's campus including discussions, speakers and sharing resources for first-generation college students. Winners of the Central Bridge Scholarship will also be announced.
Jackie Roman, a Holland sophomore studying French and communication sciences and disorders, is a first-generation student and the president of Central Bridge. She said the organization has helped her develop leadership skills.
"As a first-gen student, being able to be part of (Central Bridge) and helping this organization grow has been very valuable to me," Roman said. "I want to help others, especially first-generation freshmen and especially those who are minorities—trying to help them adjust to being an undergraduate."
Below is a list of Central Bridge's upcoming events for First-Generation College Students Week. Links for virtual events, Central Bridge's social media pages and other information can be found on the organization's Linktree.
April 11
Prospective first-generation students can meet with Central Bridge to learn how to navigate the undergraduate application process from 5 - 6 p.m. on Zoom. Attendees will also be able to apply for the Central Bridge Scholarship at the event.
April 12
A panel of first-generation undergraduate students will share their experiences and give advice to high school students from 5 - 6 p.m. in the Center for Student Inclusion and Diversity and on Zoom.
April 13
Central Bridge members will be running three different stations to discuss the first-generation student experience from 5 - 6 p.m. on the Bovee University Center lawn.
At the first station, people can write words of affirmation or motivation to share with others. The second station will feature a discussion about mentorship and the third station will offer resources for new CMU students. Roman said all are welcome to share their experiences, even if they are not a first-generation student.
April 14
Central Bridge will partner with several other organizations to share multicultural first-generation student perspectives from 5 - 6 p.m. in Biosciences 1010.
Members from the Organization of Asian Leaders, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, the Muslim Students Association and the Empowered Latino Union will attend the open discussion.
April 15
President Bob Davies and two keynote speakers will discuss the first-generation college experience from 1 - 3 p.m. in the French Auditorium. Alumna Scott Nadeau, vice president of the CMU Alumni Association, and Mariza Gamez-Garcia, a Grand Rapids lawyer are both first-generation college students who will speak at the event.
A reception after the event will be held from 3 - 4 p.m. in Pearce 327.
