First-Generation Students supported, celebrated at Davenport

Nov. 8 is National First-Generation College Celebration Day. This week, Davenport University will join colleges nationwide in celebrating first-generation college students, faculty, staff and alumni, recognizing their unique contributions and pathways to success with on-campus presentations, guest speakers, and displays to increase awareness of the ongoing support Davenport offers to help first generation students succeed.

Currently, Davenport first-gen students make up 52% of the student body. And as a result of Davenport's First Generation Student Success Initiative, participating students show strong retention improvements, with 78% continuing to progress toward graduation.

"At Davenport, we have intentional programming to help our students succeed," said Jodi Hicks, Davenport director, Student Transitions and Academic Success. "The barriers first-gen students have are many - academic, social, financial, and we try and help students in all those areas. Everyone deserves a chance to reach their goals and become who they want to be."

Bryson Huber is a 19-year-old first-generation student from Hudsonville, Mich., studying business administration. When he toured Davenport his senior year of high school, he said the people made his decision easy.

"Everyone wanted to get to know me and why I was choosing Davenport," said Huber. "It was like talking to a second family. My admissions representative was awesome. I ended up changing from looking into Davenport to making it my final decision."

As for obstacles he's faced being a first-generation student, he said "I was fortunate enough I knew a bunch of people and cousins to give me pointers before going. I also dual enrolled at a local community college my senior year, so I kind of got used to the process and the classes."

Brant Brooks, 18, is a first-generation student from Muskegon who's working toward a bachelor's degree in cyber defense. He currently plays football for the university.

"I feel like being a first gen, I can show my brother, sister, and everyone else back home, kids that look up to me in Muskegon, that you can be the first to graduate college and do what you want to do."

Said Hicks, "It's not just helping this student; it's helping their family and friends. If this student succeeds, then their family and friends see that success and likely will try to reach those goals themselves. It's the biggest reward of the whole thing."

Despite obstacles, and Brooks has faced many, his advice to others is to keep going. "Don't let anyone tell you you can't do it," Brooks said. "You need to show them what can be done. You can't give up."

The First-Generation Peer Mentor Program, launched as a pilot in 2019 and now active on all Davenport campuses, pairs first-generation students with peer mentors who provide guidance on navigating college life, coursework, and access to essential resources. This mentorship has proven to reduce student stress, build community, and create a supportive environment that empowers first-generation students to thrive.

Another offering is Hick's first-generation ACES learning community class, a first year success course.

"The ACES class is great," said Huber. "For someone not having that much institutional knowledge going into college - how to access stuff on Blackboard, how a paper is supposed to be written, how to write an email, it helps you understand how a college operates."

Brooks shared, "Being in the ACES class provides a lot of support. You learn more about yourself through personality assessments and such. We're always learning something new to help us in the future."

For more information about Davenport University's First-Generation Student Success Initiative and upcoming events, please visit www.davenport.edu.