Bowdoin College

11/11/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/11/2024 21:22

Taking A Week to Recognize First-Generation College Students

THRIVE's constellation of programs

THRIVE is made up of several initiatives: Bowdoin Advising in Support of Excellence (BASE), an intensive academic advising program; Bowdoin Science Experience (BSE), which supports students interested in science and mathematics; Geoffrey Canada Scholars (GCS), which offers a pre-college summer institute and support throughout the four years of study; Joshua L. Chamberlain Scholars, who receive scholarships for research, independent study, internships, and service learning; and peer mentoring, which matches first-year students with an upperclass advisor.

Calling the week between November 4-8 "First-Gen Week," the THRIVE community celebrated on Monday with a kick-off party, on Tuesday with a peer mentor panel, on Wednesday with bagels and coffee in the morning and karaoke in the evenig, on Thursday with games and other activities, and on Friday with a party and later, a movie night.

"Being first-generation can be lonely," Khuong said. "Being in college, especially a place like this, you can feel like you don't belong. You operate on a deficit model."

To counter this, Khuong said it is imperative to have a community, including with others who share a similar background. "Because we understand one another, we celebrate each other, and we remind each other that we are awesome!" he said, with a smile.

As part of his effort to strengthen THRIVE and make it work as well as possible for students, Parker-Gills last year set up a student advisory council. The group is tasked with developing new programming and offering feedback to Bowdoin administrators on how the College can best support students.

Mauricio Cuba Almeida '27, who serves on the advisory council, stood up during the celebration to welcome students and offer a few remarks. He noted that he appreciates the first-generation designation because it signals equality among those who can claim it. "There is nothing that makes you more first-gen than me, or me more first-gen than you," he said.

He grew up in Cuba and moved to Miami with his family when he was one year old. "My first year at Bowdoin was hard," he acknowledged. "Making friends here was hard. But there is something about being first-gen, you click so easily with people who are also first-gen. I've been happy to meet so many different people and happy to have a place and create a space for us to cherish our identities."