Florida State University recognizes first-generation student success during weeklong celebration

Florida State University will recognize first-generation students Nov. 4-8 during FGEN Week, a weeklong celebration to raise awareness about the experiences of first-generation college students and provide educational opportunities for FSU faculty, staff, students and alumni. (Brittany Mobley/Undergraduate Studies)

Florida State University is participating in the annual First-Generation College Celebration, held nationally every November as an initiative of the Council for Opportunity in Education and the Center for First-generation Student Success.

FSU’s Panama City and Tallahassee campuses will host events Nov. 4-8 to celebrate and empower the nearly 7,000 enrolled undergraduate students who are first-generation, meaning their parents did not graduate college.

A nationally recognized leader in first-generation student success, FSU has been steadily expanding its resources and support for students through the growth of its Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE).

CARE currently supports its biggest cohort yet — nearly 3,000 students who receive funding for enrichment and leadership activities, college preparation during the summer, academic guidance, financial literacy workshops, community-building activities and more.

“We are thrilled to be able to expand opportunities to more and more first-generation students,” CARE Director and Undergraduate Studies Assistant Dean DeOnte Brown said. “We know that each student has the ability to reach their full potential when given the right resources and guidance, and we are grateful to see success stories every day from the resilient and talented students in our CARE community.”

Jahbari Bowen

“I’ve wanted to be a physician since I can remember.”

Jahbari Bowen is passionate about the field of medicine.

“I’m very interested in biological systems,” said the biochemistry major who grew up in Dothan, Alabama. “I would like to be a physician and a scientist.”

Jahbari Bowen has received crucial support through the Quest Scholars Program as he prepares for medical school.

The demanding academic journey to a STEM degree can be extra challenging for those whose parents didn’t attend college. Bowen’s mother finished high school before moving to the U.S. from Jamaica when she was 18, but she didn’t have experiences to share about how to navigate college.

“Being a first-generation student, you are the first one to go to college,” Bowen said. “You have to pave your own way.”

Bowen has received crucial support from FSU’s CARE through the QUEST Scholars Program.

The QUEST program gives first-generation students specialized advising, workshops on topics such as professionalism and financial literacy, and recreational events that help them build community.

The program also provides funding for enrichment and research opportunities. Funding from QUEST helped Bowen afford a summer conducting HIV research in a lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He got first-hand experience studying the genetic makeup of retroviruses while getting to know a new part of the country and seeing Washington, D.C., for the first time.

Bowen serves as a university ambassador, giving campus tours to prospective students, and he tutors other CARE students in chemistry and math. After graduation in Spring 2025, his next step is medical school.

“CARE gives you all these resources that if you utilize them well, you will be very, very successful here in college,” Bowen said.

 

Dudley “DJ” Mayard Jr. 

“I will be the first African American to commission into the United States Space Force from FSU.”

Dudley “DJ” Mayard Jr. has been able to get connected through CARE’s Illuminate Program and Student Support Services as he prepares for the United States Space Force.

Dudley “DJ” Mayard Jr. from Miami, Florida, is shooting for the stars.

Mayard’s parents always told him that college was an expectation, even though they didn’t have the opportunity to go themselves. He didn’t want to just reach expectations at FSU, though; he wanted to exceed them.

As an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) student dual majoring in finance and management information systems, he is expecting to break barriers as the first African American ROTC cadet from FSU to join the United States Space Force after he graduates in the spring.

“I know I’m first-gen; I know I’m going to get my degree,” Maynard said. “But I wanted to maximize the opportunity to do everything that I possibly could while in college.”

Mayard sought advice from Brown and other staff, knowing they could help him reach his biggest goals and find community among likeminded students.

Through CARE, he was able to get connected with FSU’s Illuminate Program, which serves federal Pell Grant recipients, and Student Support Services, which is part of a suite of federally funded programs designed to improve student retention, graduation, financial literacy and overall academic success.

That support has led Mayard to many opportunities. He’s the senior class council vice president in FSU’s Student Government Association and he regularly mentors boys in grades K-12 from the Tallahassee area. He is also part of FSU’s Homecoming Court this year, reflecting his pride for and commitment to Florida State University.

“At FSU I landed somewhere where I felt at home, with people from all diverse backgrounds who I could build a community with,” Mayard said.

 

Stephanie Matos

“I’m so glad I came to FSU to experience the opportunities to get me to New York and pursue my career interests.”

Stephanie Matos is forging her own path toward the big city.

“I was able to do more than what my family was afforded,” said Matos, whose parents immigrated from Cuba to raise her in Miami, Florida. “Being a first-generation student is a point of pride.”

Stephanie Matos completed CARE’s Summer Bridge Program and plans to pursue a marketing career after graduation. (Brittany Mobley/Undergraduate Studies)

Matos, who is pursuing a dual degree in marketing and management information systems, originally thought she would go to college, get her degree and leave. However, her experiences at FSU proved to be more rewarding as she became involved on campus.

Her first exposure to the FSU community was through CARE and the Summer Bridge Program.

FSU’s Summer Bridge Program, which served nearly 400 incoming students this summer, is designed to give first-generation students from limited-income families an opportunity to connect with FSU faculty and peers and provide academic support throughout the college experience. Matos’ experience in the program sparked her interest in community building.

She has since been an involved member of the Hispanic/Latinx Student Union, the Student Government Association and the Garnet and Gold Key leadership honor society.

FSU’s Division of Student Affairs inducted her into the 2024 Torchbearer 100, which recognizes 100 undergraduate students who have shown exceptional leadership and achievement during their college careers.

These organizations — and the people she met through them — were her “home away from home,” she said.

She plans to move to New York City or Washington, D.C. after she graduates to pursue a marketing career in the entertainment or lifestyle arenas.

“I get to be a representation for other Latinas and show them that they, too, can get a STEM degree and be a leader in their community,” she said.


The 2024 theme for FSU’s First-Generation Celebration is “A Brave New World,” and featured events include:

MONDAY, NOV. 4

Take CARE Fest: FGEN Week Kickoff

10 a.m., Thagard Building, Tallahassee Campus

First-Gen Photos and Table

11 a.m., Holley Lobby, Panama City Campus

Braving the Unknown

6 p.m., Bellamy Bldg. Room 0023, Tallahassee Campus


TUESDAY, NOV. 5

F1rst: Virtual Alumni Mixer

1 p.m., Virtual (Zoom), All Campuses

FGEN Kickball Tournament

6 p.m., Main Campus Fields, Tallahassee Campus

First-Gen Luncheon

12 p.m. Holley Lecture Hall, Panama City Campus


WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6

Market Wednesday

10 a.m., Thagard Bldg., Tallahassee Campus

Market Wednesday is a medley of activities that occurs every Wednesday of the semester on Moore Auditorium Patio and Legacy Walk. Come visit the CARE table this Wednesday!

FGEN Paint & Sip

11 a.m., HCB Patio, Tallahassee Campus

Tri-Alpha Induction

TBA, Panama City Campus

Gen 1 Shark Tank

2 p.m., Innovation Hub, Tallahassee Campus

The purpose of the competition is for students to come up with solutions to challenges that First-Generation college students typically encounter during their college career.


THURSDAY, NOV. 7

Future Forward: Career Fair Tour

10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Civic Center, All Campuses; must RSVP

The Seminole Futures Career & Internship Fair is the largest fair of the year at FSU and attracts students from various majors interested in full-time and internship opportunities. Historically, over 1,500 students attend this event each semester.

Rooted & Resilient Yoga

5 p.m., Landis Green, Tallahassee Campus


FRIDAY, NOV. 8

Tri-Alpha Induction Ceremony

5:30 p.m., Student Services Building (SSB) Room 208, Tallahassee Campus; seating is limited

Florida State University is excited to induct the 2024 class of inductees for the Zeta Rho Chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha). The purpose of this organization is to recognize academic achievements in first-generation college students, create enthusiasm for scholarship, to promote leadership and to provide support networks for first-generation students within and across college chapters.


For more information about the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) and the programs they offer, visit care.fsu.edu.