SJSU Hosts Inaugural First-Gen Week Celebration

First-generation students from EOP building community during a Student Union Bowling Center event.

San José State University is hosting its first-ever First-Gen Week Celebration, a three-day event dedicated to celebrating and empowering first-generation students. The celebration will be held from November 4-6, featuring a series of tabling events, workshops and a panel. 

At present, first-generation students make up nearly 50% of undergraduates at SJSU.  

“First-generation college students in California are the invisible majority of students within most of the CSU system. As institutions of higher learning, we must position ourselves to assess and meet the needs of this dynamic student population,” says Tijan White, ’23 Ed.D., the director of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at SJSU. 

On SJSU’s campus, EOP provides first-generation, limited income and economically disadvantaged students with admission, academic and financial support. EOP, along with SJSU’s TRIO program, have both been working to organize First-Gen Celebration Week. TRIO provides support to first-generation, low-income and students with disabilities; the program guides them through class scheduling, major/career exploration, academic advising and financial aid assistance. 

State and federally funded programs such as EOP and Trio have supported first-generation students for over 55 years, since the passing of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, the Higher Education Act of 1965 and California State Senate Bill 1072 in 1969.  

“But our restricted programs can only serve a small portion of the first-generation college students who attend our campuses,” says White. “The situation we find ourselves in demands collective intentional action by all stakeholders to close equity gaps and promote student success outcomes for first-generation college students.” 

Jesus Rodriguez, ’26 Communication Studies, feels that his experience as a first-generation student at SJSU has been deeply enhanced by EOP. 

“My experience as a first-generation student at SJSU has been good with the help of EOP,” says Rodriguez. “EOP’s opportunities for first-gen students have allowed me to get help financially and with my education, whether that’s tutoring or advising.” 

Enrique Suarez, ’26 Interior Design, has found an amazing community of first-generation students to connect with. He currently works as a mentor for the I Can, I Will program at EOP that supports first-year, first-gen men of color.  

“I’ve been able to become a mentor for fellow first-generation students and help guide them through their first year at SJSU,” says Saurez. “I’ve been able to share many resources and advice I was given from my mentor.”

Jamie Ngo, ’27 Chemical Engineering, has experienced some ups and downs as a first-generation student at SJSU. His transition from high school to college was difficult at times, but with programs like EOP and Spartan East Side Promise, Ngo has been able to get the support that he needs. 

“I’m very grateful to be able to build a strong support system academically and socially here at SJSU. There were and probably will be many more ups and downs in my college years, but I know that I can navigate through it successfully,” shares Ngo.   

For first-generation students, finding a sense of belonging is an important part of truly feeling at home on campus. SJSU has over 300 different clubs and organizations that can support first-gen students in finding community and connection with other like-minded students.  

Kimberly Fernandez, ’24 Environmental Studies, also found it challenging to navigate SJSU when she first started her journey as a first-generation student. But after some time, she found her stride. She believes that students should seek out opportunities, like joining clubs and organizations, and even working an on-campus job, if possible.

Currently, Fernandez works as a front desk student assistant for EOP. In the past, she has worked at EOP as a peer mentor. 

“Being a first-generation student fills me with great pride. I am grateful for my parents’ support and love in giving me this opportunity to pursue a higher education,” says Fernandez. 

One of the highlights of SJSU’s First-Gen Celebration Week is a first-gen voices panel, which will highlight student experiences and perspectives, offering a unique opportunity for the SJSU community to learn from students. The panel will be happening on Monday, November 4, at Student Union 4A/B, from 12pm – 1:30pm. Along with students, SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson will also be present. 

While SJSU is celebrating First-Gen Week with events on campus from November 4-6, National First-Gen College Celebration Day is on Friday, November 8. 

Go here to learn more about First-Gen Week.