2016
The second 1vyG summit is hosted at Harvard University
More than 350 college students, administrators, and alumni from across the US gathered to celebrate their identities as first-generation college students and discuss the unique challenges they face. The conference featured inspiring sessions led by renowned academics on topics related to first-generation experiences, as well as powerful addresses by top Harvard administrators, including Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons. President of the University Drew G. Faust also gave a moving video address to the attendees.
Organizers Ted White and Ana Barros said the conference was a crucial opportunity to bring first-generation students together to foster a stronger sense of connection among that group and de-stigmatize conversations about being a first-generation college student. "The goal of this conference is one to unify our community," said Barros. "There’s a need for us to all come together and be surrounded by each other; any community needs that, and especially ours because the first-gen experience is so often an isolating experience."
The conference was the culmination of many years of first-generation advocacy at Harvard and other colleges, and organizers credited student activism for recent institutional changes at the university, such as the creation of the Harvard First Generation Program within the Admissions and Financial Aid Office. "When I came to Harvard, nobody talked about being a first-gen," said Barros. "It’s been very hard, and to see this finally coming to fruition is very exciting for us."
Attendees of the conference said it was an invaluable opportunity to connect with peers and gain valuable insights and support. "To see all of these people going through the same thing, if anything just that this conference exists, shows that there’s more to that part of my identity that I associate with that I can act on and not be ashamed of," said Jorge Penado, a student at the University of Pennsylvania who attended the event.
