East Stroudsburg University Supports First-Gen Students with Weeklong Celebration

As East Stroudsburg University's GenOne Week celebration began on Nov. 4, sophomores JV Rodriguez and Willow Dziura sat among fellow first-generation college students at a kickoff event in the Commuter Lounge, each reflecting on the pride and responsibility of their paths to a college degree.

The event, and the several others ESU's GenOne Club hosted over the next few days, featured conversations that brought first-generation students together with peers, faculty, and staff who shared their journey.

"It's really nice to just talk to other people going through the same things I am," Rodriguez said.

A psychology major, Rodriguez said she is navigating college with a strong sense of independence. She loves the freedom of having her own schedule, choosing her own study spaces and picking her own friends, but acknowledged it comes with accountability.

"It's on me to do what I have to do," she said.

Dziura, an English major, shared similar feelings but with an added sense of family pride.

"I had family members who went to college but never finished, so it makes me proud to carry the torch for them," she said.

Guiding students like Rodriguez and Dziura is the goal of the GenOne Club, a community co-led by Joseph Akob, Student Activity Association executive director, and Jessica Santiago, Ph.D., assistant professor of modern languages, philosophy and religion, who are both first-generation graduates themselves.

"First-generation college students understand the process of higher education and what it can do for their long-term futures but that day-to-day and starting in a brand-new environment can be challenging when family members at home don't understand the pressures," Akob said.

The club, now three years old, aims to bridge that gap, offering support through events, resource sessions with campus offices and networking.

This year marked a new step for GenOne Week, as faculty and staff who were first-generation students were also celebrated. At a mixer, they shared their stories and received signage for their offices, signaling to students that support was just a knock away.

"It can be hard to ask for help sometimes," Dr. Santiago said. "We want first-generation students to know we're here to support and encourage them."

The week's events ranged from a "Sweet Creations" event where students could relax, color, and decorate cupcakes, to "Knowledge for College," a luncheon celebrating National First-Generation College Student Day, where participants exchanged their perspectives. The week also included a movie night, the Tri-Alpha Honors Society induction ceremony and a group trip to the Lehigh Valley Zoo.

Beyond events geared toward ESU students, the campus also welcomed 45 middle schoolers from JT Lambert Intermediate School and Stroudsburg Middle School for "College Bound ESU," a program introducing future first-generation students to college life.

Middle schoolers became college students for the day as they explored residence halls, ate lunch in Dansbury Commons, and participated in an interactive exercise science class in Koehler Fieldhouse, among other experiences.

"These kids get to do things today that other students might not experience until they actually get to college," said JT Lambert 7^th grade social studies teacher Bob LaBar, who watched the students light up as they completed balance exercises and grip strength tests with exercise science faculty.

Looking back on her own uncertain start to college life at ESU, Dziura said her best piece of advice for future first-generation Warriors was don't be afraid to ask for help.

"It's OK to not have all the answers," she said. "The GenOne Club, your advisors, your professors - they're all here to help. If you don't know something, just ask."

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