Being a pioneer takes courage, and 42% of New Mexico State University undergraduate students are exploring new worlds as the first in their families to pursue a college degree. In November, the NMSU system will celebrate first-generation college students, faculty and staff.
On the Las Cruces campus, NMSU’s eighth annual first-generation celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Corbett Center Student Union’s first floor and Aggie Lounge. The event will include free food, T-shirts, swag and a photo booth in addition to video greetings from university leadership and a performance from Ballet Folklórico Orgullo de Nuevo México.
“This event is a heartfelt celebration of every single win — from the quiet daily efforts to the major milestones — that our first-gen students achieve,” said Debbie Giron, NMSU Global acting director for academic effectiveness and first-generation celebration co-chair. “It is also an open invitation for allies across NMSU to stand alongside them, honor their resilience and celebrate their bright futures together.”
Also on the Las Cruces campus, the Honors College First-Generation Open House will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the William Conroy Honors College. Students can learn about honors educational opportunities.
“In many ways, our first-generation celebration is like the tip of an iceberg,” said Marko Mohlenhoff, TRIO McNair Scholars Program director and first-generation celebration co-chair. “This high-profile, systemwide celebration only happens once a year, but there are so many people who work behind the scenes at every campus in the NMSU system each day to support first-generation students and work toward making our institution a place where first-generation students feel like they belong and can succeed.”
NMSU Grants will host its first-generation celebration from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5. The event will include free food and swag, a guest speaker and Q&A session and first-gen photos.
NMSU Alamogordo will host its third annual first-generation day from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, in the Science Center Atrium. The event will include faculty, staff and students sharing their first-generation experiences. Free first-generation buttons and T-shirts will be available. Alamogordo food truck F&J Burgers also will be in attendance.
Doña Ana Community College will host its fifth annual first-generation celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the DACC Espina Campus. The event will include student stories, free food, mariachi band performances, a photo booth, games and prizes.
As first-generation college graduates, Giron and Mohlenhoff understand how important it is to encourage first-generation students at NMSU.
“When first-gen students feel a genuine sense of community — when they know an entire system of people is actively rooting for them — it transforms their experience,” Giron said. “Knowing they are never walking this journey alone gives them the confidence to persevere and thrive.”
“To us, it’s essential that our first-generation students feel supported,” Mohlenhoff said. “We want them to know we understand that college is hard for everyone, and that our first-generation students also face their own unique challenges as they’re working on their education. But we also want them to see themselves as we see them — an amazing community of individuals who already bring with them their own cultural and familial strengths, a talent for navigating multiple cultures and environments, and complex problem-solving abilities that make them extremely well-suited for meeting and surpassing the many challenges that are a part of any college education experience.”
Additionally, NMSU first-generation college students, faculty, staff and alumni will be highlighted in NMSU’s Hotline newsletter and on NMSU’s social media channels.
For more information, contact Giron at debgiron@nmsu.edu or Mohlenhoff at markom@nmsu.edu.