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First-Generation College Students and Veterans

In the United States, November 8 is First-Generation College Student Day and November 11 is Veterans Day. At Emerson, we celebrate and welcome our students, staff, and faculty who are First-Generation and Veterans. We amplify the intersectionality of identities and experiences in these communities and encourage all Emersonians to learn more.

Emerson Events & Resources

Spotlight: Anthony Rodriguez, Assistant Director of Student Success

Anthony Rodriguez wearing a dark shirt in his office, with shelves and funko pop statues in the background.

Anthony Rodriguez (he/him) co-founded First-Gen Em during his time as an undergraduate publishing student at Emerson, following a pivotal moment in his education. Anthony describes a class assignment to “scan a poem,” which he completed by using a digital scanner, only to attend the next class and discover that scanning a poem meant breaking up a poem’s lines or verses into metrical feet and identifying the stressed and unstressed syllables.

Feeling like he was the only student who didn’t understand this concept, Anthony started questioning why he was not aware of what felt like common sense to others. When he met a fellow student working on a journalism piece spotlighting first-generation students, Anthony learned more about the definition of a first-generation college student and resonated with the experience. Together, they co-founded First-Gen Em.

As Assistant Director of Student Success, Anthony supports students to achieve academic and attendance success, and manages events and programming for the Office of Student Success. He also want folks to know that every first-generation college student brings a unique perspective and set of challenges (often balancing academics with financial and personal responsibilities), and there is not a one-size-fits-all solution to support these students. One way Emersonians can support first-gen students is by acknowledging their diverse and different journeys.

While attending Boston University for education and policy studies, Anthony solidified his passion to help make visible the challenges that students who are more vulnerable experience, creating solutions to achieve success. In 2022 Anthony was inducted into the Gamma Iota Chapter of the Tri-Alpha National Honor Society, a national organization that recognizes the achievements of first-generation college students.

While he is proud to have been a first-generation college student, Anthony wants folks to know he still struggles with feeling as though he missed something. He also adds, “I am much so much more beyond being a label or statistic, and I invite everyone to appreciate these individuals who are working to build futures for themselves, their families, and everyone around them.”

Learn more about Anthony, connect with him at Student Success, and learn about Emerson’s First-Generation Student Support.

Spotlight: Ellie Beargeon, Affiliated Faculty

Ellie Beargeon smiles wearing glasses and a blue blazer.

Ellie Beargeon is an Iraq War Veteran who served in the U.S. Army for six years before transitioning to a career in higher education. In Spring 2024, she was the recipient of the Alan L. Stanzler Award for Excellence in Teaching. Her focal research areas are in critical military studies, and she has presented her paper “Diverse Warriors”: LGBTQ Experiences of Recruitment, Enlistment, and Service in the U.S. Armed Forces (2011-2021) at both the International Studies Association Northeast Conference and the Northeastern Political Science Association Conference.

First-Gen & Veteran Resources

Purple text on white background: I'm First: Emerson College First Generation Emersonian.

A first-generation college student is the first in their family to attend or complete college. First-Generation College Student Day is celebrated annually on November 8 to commemorate the signing of the Higher Education Act (HEA) in 1965, which increased federal money for universities, created scholarships, and gave low-interest loans for students.

Yellow Ribbon

Veterans Day is a federal holiday observed in the United States annually on November 11 to honor military veterans and their families.

Emerson welcomes former and current members of the armed services and their families to our community.

Emerson’s Office of Student Success, Veterans Affairs & Resources, is available to support your continued success by assisting you in the utilization of military educational benefits and connecting you with campus, local, and national resources.

Learn more about Emerson’s Veterans Affairs & Resources.

7th Annual First-Generation Student Day Celebration!

Friday, November 8, 2024
2pm-4pm
The Loft – 25 Boylston Place, 1st Floor

Join us in celebrating National First-Generation College Student Day with food, music, a photo booth, and networking!

This event is open to all students, staff, and faculty who identify as first-generation and to all others who support our First-Generation community!

For more info, visit EmConnect or email Christopher_Grant@emerson.edu.

First Generation Student Day Celebration!

 

 

 

 

Learn More

First-Generation College Student Day 11/8

First-Generation College Celebration logo, November 8.First-Generation College Celebration (FGCC) is an annual opportunity to raise awareness of the first-generation college student identity, hosted by the Council for Opportunity in Education and FirstGen Forward (formerly the Center for First-generation Student Success).

Veterans Day 11/11

Black and white Veterans Day Parade photo from 1919.

Veterans Day is held annually on November 11  to mark the end of fighting during World War 1, when an armistice (temporary cease of hostilities) went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

Learn more and review a timeline from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.