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Providence Campus First-Gen Meet & Greet

Wednesday, Nov. 3, 4 to 6:30pm | UC First Floor Lobby

���ϲʿ���ֱ�� Vice President for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Stephanie Akunvabey welcomes and celebrates Providence Campus-based First-Gen students, faculty, staff and partners. Dean Bianco invites everyone to stop by and say hello! 

Pick Up First Gen Pins & Stickers

Thursday, Nov. 4, 9:30-11:30am

• Library first floor: MediaTech Help Desk
• Library second floor: CSAS Front Desk
• Admissions & Alumni Building: Lobby
• Rec Center: Athletics Suite
• Intercultural Center: MPR Room
• School of Law: Suite 175
• Providence Campus: First floor lobby

Kickoff Event

���ϲʿ���ֱ�� Student Panel

noon-12:55pm | Mary Teftt White Room

Current ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� Students share their experiences as first-generation students. We hear all the perspectives of undergraduate students, graduate students, a law student, and a student from the UC campus.

Panelists:

DOROTHY BATCHER was born and raised by a single mom in rural Illinois.  She attended University of South Florida for her undergraduate degree, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and graduating with honors. Dorothy worked full-time throughout her undergraduate degree, supporting herself throughout. Both her mom and her dad were diagnosed with cancer after growing up in an area that was exposed to large amounts of toxins from nearby industries.  Her dad died of cancer when he was thirty-three, and she was two.  Her goal upon graduating from ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� School of Law is to advocate for those like her parents, poisoned by industries with no one to advocate for them because they could not afford an attorney. Currently, Dorothy is a second-year law student at ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� working on an initiative by the American Bar Association that is helping connect the legally underserved populations to access much needed legal resources. She is encouraged by how many resources there are for students at ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� law to help them succeed.  As a first-generation law student, this has been invaluable to Dorothy.
 

JESAHIAS QUIROA is the oldest son of two Guatemalan parents who came to the United States in the 1980s, who also now has a little brother who plans on attending college later on in life. He is the first to not only graduate from high school in his hometown of Cranston, Rhode Island at Cranston High School East but also now attends university at ���ϲʿ���ֱ��. He is studying Legal Studies and Political Science, is now serving as the President of the Multicultural Student Union (MSU), and holds positions both as an Admissions Ambassador/Tour Guide and in the Financial Aid office as a Work-Study student. 

SAM GALLION is a first-year graduate student at Roger Williams University in the Forensic Mental Health Counseling program. She is the first in her family to go and successfully complete college, and with it has come amazing opportunities in both her undergraduate and graduate programs. Sam is from Marion, Ohio and completed her undergraduate degree at Florida Institute of Technology. In her undergraduate career, she held multiple leadership positions, won awards in both academic and social environments, and hopes to continue this in her graduate experiences. 

ARRON SERRANO is a Sophomore from New York City. He studies business and is leaning towards Accounting. He participates in the Barbershop - a club that to promote community engagement and activity amongst the men of color on ���ϲʿ���ֱ��s campus. He is also a member of the Pathway to Purpose program (P2P), intended to be a transformative higher education experience to high-performing students.

Afternoon Sessions

First-Gen Alumni Panel (Session A) 

1:00-1:55 pm | Virtual 
Alums reflect on their first-gen experience at ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� and share advice with current Hawks.

MELISSA HUSBAND '00 Having a natural affinity for public service, Melissa Husband designed her education around policy, nonprofit management, effective leadership and public administration. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� and a Master of Public Administration from URI. Melissa served as Executive Director of Community Action Partnership of Providence, an anti-poverty social service organization. Melissa taught Nonprofit Management as an Adjunct Professor at ���ϲʿ���ֱ��. Currently as Deputy Secretary of State/Director of Administration, Melissa provides leadership across the RI Department of State and oversees the operations of Elections; Business Services; State Archives, Library & Public Information; and Finance and Personnel.

Career Preparation for Hawks (Session B)

1:00-1:55 pm | Mary Teftt White Room 
Join the Center for Career and Professional Development for an overview of Career Preparation strategies and resources. This presentation will include information about Networking and Mentorship, Career Exploration, and creating your Personal Brand.

First-Gen Resources with CSAS (Session A) 

2:00-2:55pm | Mary Teftt White Room

• Student Accessiblilty Services (SAS) will be conducting an overview of services, disability awareness, minimizing the stigma, and holding a question-and-answer portion of the session. 
   
• The Tutoring Center will offer an overview and an engaging role-playing experience. 
   
• Advising & Peer Mentorship: Join Advising & Peer Mentorship for a fun and interactive session! Play “College Readiness Bingo” to learn ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� academic success tips and interesting facts & advice from famous first-generation college student pioneers.

First-Gen & Counseling (Session B) 

2:00-2:55pm | Library Instructional Lab 
Learn about mental health resources with the Counseling Center.

First-Gen Faculty & Staff Panel 

3:00-3:55 pm | Mary Tefft White Room 
Faculty and staff will share their first-gen stories, how this identity impacted their lives and give advice to current first-gen students. The panelists and their bios are below:

ROB GRIFFIN became Dean of the School of Engineering, Computing and Construction management on July 1, 2021.  After growing up in Bourne, Massachusetts, he studied chemical engineering at Tufts University. He was a research associate at Arthur D. Little, Inc., for two years.  Griffin then received his PhD in chemical engineering from the California Institute of Technology.  Prior to ���ϲʿ���ֱ��, he spent 21 years in various faculty and administrative roles at other institutions of higher education.  
 

KATHRYN ZIMMERMAN is a first-generation graduate student, from Leominster, Massachusetts, who works at ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� as the Assistant Director of Student Accessibility Services. She has earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Fitchburg State University, Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University, and is currently a Doctorate of Education Candidate studying at Northeastern University. 
 

Dr. JUSTIN KISHBAUGH is the Director of the Writing Center, the Associate Director of Academic Success, and a Professor of Writing at ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� School of Law. He is a summa cum laude graduate from King’s College with a B.A. in English Literature and holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University and a Ph.D. in English Literature from Duquesne University. He is also a Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce housed at ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� Law and loves working with students on their writing. If he could invite five people to dinner—living or dead—they would be Allen Iverson, the Notorious B.I.G., Keith Richards, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein

First-Gen ���ϲʿ���ֱ�� Professor Angela Chang

Angela Chang is a native of Hong Kong. Having grown up in Miami, she now calls Boston and the South Coast of Massachusetts her home. She identifies as a mother, an artist, designer, and entrepreneur. She believes that her first generation experience allows her to think innovatively. She values her Asian heritage and enjoys thinking about how her relatives in China might find situations in America. Her awareness of cultural differences to guide her in ensuring her work embodies her values. Her work aims to echo traditional Asian values, such as honoring family and elders, promoting family storytelling, and valuing presence in interpersonal relationships. She works at , and builds apps that help parents empower parents to teach their children in early literacy. She also edits a zine, Taper, that publishes digital poetry and does consulting on design engineering projects relating to electronic textiles. 

Reflecting on her first-generation experience she says, "I wanted to share what I was learning at college with my family, but it was very hard for them to understand the demands and depth of my commitment to doing well. It was great to hear their voice over the phone, because everything was even more foreign than when we immigrated. Also, I was alone, without the comfort of home cooking. However, it was easier for me to spend more time studying and experimenting with different intellectual pursuits because I did not have to work at my parent's restaurant. Now that I've graduated, I want to share the knowledge that I have gained with my family and friends at home because they were unable to go with me to college. However, I can bring back what I've learned to them by making sure I speak up and share what I know".

 First-Gen Day Community Photo 

4:00-4:25 pm | Quad
Join us on the Quad to take a community picture to commemorate the day.

President’s Reception 

4:30-5:30pm | GHH Atrium