A selection of students have come together to create a new outlet club.

The  term “first-generation,” referencing students who are the first in their immediate family to pursue a formal education at a post-secondary institution, was introduced in 1981 by the governing body of a series of federal outreach and support systems known as TRIO. Since its inception, the number of safety nets for this demographic of students has fiercely grown, including at SUNY Oswego.

The First Generation Club, spearheaded by students Luke Kapczak, Vickram Nauth, Janayah Tolbert and Ellen Argueta, will be another addition to the university’s continuous effort to ease the tension and uncertainty for those beginning their collegiate careers. Where the club differs from existing organizations is its student-led modeling, envisioned by Kapczak and Nauth.

“Me and Luke, we were walking one day and some faculty advisors came up to us and asked us if we were first-gen,” Nauth said. “And once they asked if we were first-gen, they asked us if we wanted to join a board, or committee, of first-generation students, so that way we could help bridge the gap between first-gen and non-first-gen students.”

“And from that, we created an idea that we could create a club for first-gen students so we could have a community and that way we could bring first-gen students in,” Nauth said. “We get their input as to what they see is lacking. That way, we can help the other side bridge the gap.

“It also helps bridge the gap between the faculty and the students,” Kapczak said. “At first, it was just for faculty, just to see what they could do to help the students or people on campus in general. And then from there, we discussed that having a club just helps more in actually reaching a student body than just some advisors here and there helping.”

Although students will be the primary force behind the club’s functions, their advisor, Kelly Exware, will guide them in advancing toward their goals.

“As the advisor to the First Generation Club, my focus is to assist the club in making connections across campus, thereby creating opportunities for networking, mentorship, and academic/financial support,” Exware said in an email. “My hope is that through a number of socials, workshops, and networking opportunities, first-generation students will have a greater sense of belonging and feel supported in their pursuit of higher education.”

Though tertiary education has become much more accessible throughout the decades, first-generation students are at a disadvantage compared to their peers with at least one college-educated parent, according to a 2021 article by the Washington, D.C.-based think tank, The Pew Research Center.

“Adults who have at least one college-educated parent are far more likely to complete college compared with adults with less-educated parents,” according to the article. “Some 70% of adults ages 22 to 59 with at least one parent who has a bachelor’s degree or more education have completed a bachelor’s degree themselves. Only 26% of their peers who do not have a college-educated parent have a bachelor’s degree.”

“Being that 29.3% of our student population are the first in their families to attend college, I believe the First Generation Club will be a very important addition to the university as it will help foster a sense of community and provide support to those who face unique challenges in navigating college,” Exware said.

The transition from high school to a university setting is a period of intense uncertainty and loneliness for some students. Though new undergraduates are encouraged to branch out and join clubs and organizations on campus, not knowing where to look or even what clubs exist makes the change profoundly challenging. 

There is a further compounding of this incertitude when accounting for the resources missed by new students, especially when they are the first in their families to be in the position to seek them out. Financial aid, one of the most prominent factors in deciding which university to attend, is an enigma for countless students whose parents never filled out the form. According to SUNY Oswego’s The Path Forward, the average loan debt of a SUNY Oswego student for the 2017-18 academic year was $28,006; this debt value comes despite lower in-state tuition prices.

“A lot of the findings show that a huge problem with [first-generation students] is that they come into college where there’s already this established culture of academia, and it’s really hard to navigate that,” Argueta said. “If we’re able to provide for [first-generation students], for transfer students and help them network with each other, see what resources are out there, provide them with resources, it can hopefully make their transition and experience here much smoother.”

“Definitely having other resources come in like the Excel Office, maybe a coordinator come in [and] speak about that, having perhaps someone from the financial aid office come in [and] speak about how they can get help with that if they don’t know,” Tolbert said. “Obviously, we can provide a student perspective, but they can provide the professional perspective.”

The four current e-board members of the First Generation Club will utilize their undergraduate backgrounds to fulfill certain duties regarding the organization, in particular with the outreach the club will provide for its members.

“I feel like each of us brings something different, we all have different majors so it all helps to cater to different people,” Kapczak said. “As a business major, I’m looking at getting people internships and networking.”

“For me, in education, I spend a lot of time in schools and see how this huge knowledge gap makes a big difference,” Argueta said. “A lot of [first-generation students] often find themselves during and after college feeling that disconnect, feeling a little bit lost because they’re not at the same starting position as everybody else. So we want to help bridge that gap and provide them with those tools, help them get those internships, help them figure out with their respective majors how to be successful, so once they leave SUNY Oswego, they feel like, ‘Okay, I’m first-gen, but I don’t feel disadvantaged. I feel like I was able to get the help I needed.’”

Kapczak was adamant in stating that though the club would prioritize the success of first-generation students at the university, it would also support transfer students and those entering the institution with no clear path or close friends to rely on. By acting as a pillar of support, the club hopes to mitigate the difficulties felt by underrepresented demographics.

Though the First Generation Club has yet to be recognized by the Student Association (SA) as an official entity on campus, the four members are optimistic that their scheduled meeting with SA will see the organization come to fruition. With their recognition, the First Generation Club anticipates holding interest meetings and social gatherings for students interested in the outlet.

“There are a lot of people on this campus, and even including myself [that] come here, and they feel like they don’t have a place at this university,” Argueta said. “And I feel like our biggest goal as a club is to provide a space where people feel accepted and understood, and never make them feel as though they are lesser than because they aren’t aware, because that’s not their fault.”

Photo by: Nancy Ho