Vermont Upward Bound Students Celebrate 2023 First Generation College Celebration at the University of Vermont

Burlington, VT: On Tuesday, November 8, Vermont’s Upward Bound students celebrated the National First-Generation College Celebration Day at the University of Vermont. More than 100 students and staff attended the day-long event, recognizing the students planning to attend college who will be the first members of their families to earn a college degree. Institutions and education agencies across the state participate in First-Generation College Celebration Day to highlight the achievements of students, educators, and alumni who are the first members of their families to pursue college degrees and to encourage this critical and resilient population to continue thriving.

Today, one-half of currently enrolled undergraduate students identify as first-generation. Despite first-generation students’ numerous strengths, only 27% complete a bachelor’s degree in four years—a proportion significantly lower than that of their continuing-generation peers. Institutions must build more inclusive institutional structures to close this gap and improve outcomes for this deeply intersectional population.

This year’s participants were welcomed to campus by UVM’s Director of Admissions Moses Murphy and keynote speaker, Angelina Woychosky, a former Keene State College Upward Bound student, a freshman at UVM who spoke about her college access program and her transition into the UVM campus. The students also had a tour of campus, enjoyed a students’ panel, and had an admissions and financial aid overview.

“The First-Generation College Celebration is not just a day; it’s a monumental testament to the unstoppable determination and boundless potential that first-generation students bring to our educational landscape and society,” said COE President Kimberly Jones. “Their journey is a beacon of inspiration, reminding us that the pursuit of knowledge knows no boundaries, and with unwavering support, these students will continue to break barriers and reshape the future.”

Launched by COE and the Center for First-generation Student Success in 2017, the First-Generation College Celebration has united hundreds of college campuses across the country an often-overlooked population through numerous events, including student rallies, faculty-led panel discussions, artistic performances, and more in recognition of first-generation students, administrators, faculty, and alumni. The First-Generation College Celebration is celebrated each year on November 8 as it marks the anniversary of signing of the 1965 Higher Education Act, which has helped millions of first-generation students persist to degree completion.

November 8 was selected as the date for the annual National First-Generation College Celebration to honor the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The Higher Education Act (“HEA”) emerged from President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. Much like other hallmark legislation of that era, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, HEA was intended to help level a playing field that for too long had been weighed against Americans from minority and low-income backgrounds. In addition to creating federal grants and loan programs to help students finance their educations, the legislation made key investments in institutions of higher education. Additionally, HEA ushered in programs – particularly the Federal TRIO programs – necessary for postsecondary access, retention, and completion for low-income, potential first-generation college graduates.

First-generation students who enroll in college do so against the odds and should be commended for their efforts. Research shows that students whose parents do not have a college degree are far less likely to enroll than those whose parents graduated from college, according to the Indicators of Higher Education Equity in the U.S.: 2022 Historical Trend Report. The report showed that 93 percent of the children of college graduates enroll in college within eight years of high school graduation, while just 72 percent of students from families in which neither parent holds a college degree enroll within eight years of high school graduation. (Equity Indicator 1h(I))

The TRIO Programs (initially just three programs) are funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. These Programs (Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Veterans’ Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program) help students to overcome economic, social, academic, and cultural barriers to higher education. TRIO students are first-generation college-bound and from low- to moderate-income families and/or are students with disabilities.

Vermont currently has 14 different Educational Opportunity Programs. Collectively, these federally funded TRIO programs serve over 6,600 Vermonters and bring almost $10 million annually to the state. These include: Student Support Service programs that serve more than 1,100 college students, five Upward Bound programs serving 360 high school students statewide, a statewide Talent Search program, assisting 1,000 middle and high school students, the Vermont GEAR UP program, working with more than 2,600 low-income middle and high school students across the state, the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC), advising more than 1,700 adults statewide annually, and the Ronald E. McNair Scholars program, helping undergraduate students pursue graduate education.

Local students participating:

Dominic Fowler,        Lyndon Institute Upward Bound
Maddie Chhibber,     Lyndon Institute Upward Bound
Harper Clark,             Lyndon Institute Upward Bound
Corrbin Lacaillade,   Lyndon Institute Upward Bound
Lily Ball,                      Lyndon Institute Upward Bound
Bryn Waring,              VTSU Lyndon Upward Bound – St Johnsbury Academy
Chloe Dyer,                VTSU Lyndon Upward Bound – Hazen Union High School
Max Bedor,                VTSU Lyndon Upward Bound– St Johnsbury Academy
Ashley Scherer,         VTSU Lyndon Upward Bound– St Johnsbury Academy
Dale Goodwin,           VTSU Lyndon Upward Bound – Canaan Memorial High School
Jade Tuttle,                VTSU Lyndon Upward Bound – Lyndon Institute
Kearah MacDougall, VTSU Lyndon Upward Bound – Danville High School
Brianna Holbrook      VTSU Lyndon Upward Bound– Hazen Union High School