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The T.E.A.M. First-Gen Program (Together Everyone Achieves More) increased First-Gen student engagement from 3% to 70% during the 2024/2025 school year! By adding staff who are completely dedicated to serving First-Gen students, creating a one-stop shop/hub for First-Gen students, providing proactive and early outreach to students upon acceptance, and implementing many other personalized approaches, Eureka College is flipping the script—not just supporting First-Gen students but empowering them to thrive.
A Dedicated Effort to Support First-Gen Students
The foundation of our work starts with a dedicated First-Gen Director—someone focused solely on building and sustaining a thriving FG community. Creating a sense of belonging from day one is essential. That’s why we intentionally reach out to first-gen students once they have been admitted to college. T.E.A.M. First-Gen also has five peer mentors who provide one-to-one and group mentorship to first-year first-gen students. Additionally, T.E.A.M. First-Gen has a registered student organization that supports mentoring efforts.
A One-Stop Shop for First-Gen Success
The First-Gen office is more than a space—it’s a one-stop shop for resources, advice, and encouragement. Whether it’s navigating financial aid, choosing a major, finding a place to do homework, or just locating a friendly face to talk to, we’ve got students covered.
It Starts Before Orientation
Before orientation even kicks off, we begin outreach with:
A focus on belonging and support as soon as possible through a welcome text/email from the program director within two weeks of the student's acceptance to the college.
Proactively addressing barriers by having incoming students complete an intake assessment, which provides T.E.A.M. FG’s Director and peer mentors with information on what the students need to be successful.
The creation of a “T.E.A.M.” of FG students who are trained on common barriers that students face and are ready to help other FG students navigate college life. Incoming FG students can request an outreach call or text from one of the T.E.A.M. FG students.
Easy access to resources via text and email—because support should never feel far away.
A Space That Reflects the Mission
The First-Gen Director’s office serves as a First-Gen Headquarters/Hub, filled with visual elements that reflect the vibrant, inclusive, and empowering vibe we want to cultivate. This space is designed not just for support but to symbolize pride in being a first-generation student. Even better, students helped decorate the office, ensuring it reflects their stories, identities, and dreams.
We incorporate snacks and drinks in the office, a wall sized First-Gen Family Tree with all the First-Gen students' pictures, manipulatives to relieve stress (pipe cleaners, stress balls, Legos, playdough, and fidget spinners), study circles for first-year students are led by upperclassmen from the same major and events that feel like home.
Our goal is to make Eureka College feel like home—especially for those who may be hundreds of miles away from theirs. We organize events where First-Gen students can connect, celebrate, and build friendships that feel like family. The most popular event is the First-Gen Kickback, where students gather in the student clubhouse or outside the clubhouse for catered food and to play cards, board, and video games; take part in musical chairs and scavenger hunts; and enjoy music, coloring, and building community. Kickbacks are held at least once a month.
Elevating First-Gen Voices
We believe in transparency and student leadership. That’s why we include First-Gen students in presentations to local high schools, publicly share program goals with students, and highlight the strength, grit, and brilliance of FG students by removing any stigma around the FG label. We want students to feel proud to say, “I’m First-Gen, too!”
Rewriting the Narrative
Part of changing the narrative means sharing real stories—stories from FG students, staff, and faculty who’ve walked this path, overcome obstacles, and now serve as examples of what’s possible. By highlighting their journeys, we show students: You belong here, and you can succeed here. We also help decode the unwritten rules and college lingo that many take for granted, making college more accessible. At Eureka College, we don’t just support First-Gen students—we celebrate them. We’re building a new culture, one where being First-Gen means being bold, resilient, and unstoppable.
At Eureka College, First-Gen is not just a label—it’s a legacy in the making.
For more information on Eureka College's approach, please visit their website here.
