Last week, the Community Commons and the Campus Green were filled with celebrations to commemorate First Gen Week. Celebrations commenced on Wednesday, Nov. 8 on National First Gen Day and concluded with a family dinner on Friday, Nov. 10 for students and their families. 

The office of First@DU spearheaded the celebrations throughout the week, which all focused on fulfilling their mission: to equip first-generation, minoritized and other underrepresented students with the tools they need to excel and make the most of their DU experience. The kick-off event was a tabling resource fair where offices across campus had swag for students who stopped by to learn more. Students had to stop by a table to receive a ticket for the Asian Fusion food trucks that awaited them outside. 

Thursday’s celebration was a First-Gen block party on the campus green. Students and staff mingled with one another despite the cold. The ambiance of the block party resembled one of a family backyard party. People were talking with one another as they ate and music played in the background. 

The final celebration was a Family Dinner on Friday. Students invited their friends and families to the event and were given First Gen swag as they entered. Keynote speaker, Dr. Maria Del Carmen Salazar, left everyone inspired. Salazar was the first woman of color to be tenured at DU and is one of four Latina full-time professors across the university. 

Salazar bravely shared her story with the community as she discussed the obstacles she confronted throughout her journey. As a Mexican immigrant and one of seven siblings, Salazar was the first in her family to go to college and continue her higher education to the doctorate level. She referred to herself as a rose grown from the concrete. The concrete symbolizes all the hardship she persevered through. The rose is who she has become as a result of her education, the liberties and opportunities it has awarded her and her family that otherwise she would not have had. 

The rose from the concrete metaphor resonated with many students as they were able to see themselves in Salazar, whether they were a first-generation college student who is the first in their family to break barriers. 

Linda Quintanar, the director of First@DU and DU alumna, noted that 900 students at DU were first-gen. Many of those students are the first in their families to not only pursue higher education but also the first in their families to graduate from high school. Salazar emphasized that point in her testimonio (testimony), sharing that her father only received a third-grade education as he was pulled out of school to work on the family farm, while her mother only received a sixth-grade education as she was expected to marry and start a family. 

Nonetheless, Salazar was determined to break the cycle and knew education was the key to success. She shared words of advice for both students and families to help students make the most out of their higher education journeys. 

Her biggest consejo (advice) was to harness and develop one’s writing skills. She also encouraged students to dream big and believe in themselves. Salazar quoted a common Mexican saying “échale ganas,” so students knew to put their all in their education. Families were encouraged to believe in their child/family member and to set the standard for learning at home. 

Dr. Salazar encouraged all the students to continue learning and to continue reaching for that next big step. 

“Don’t settle for bachelor’s degrees, get your master’s, your doctorate and your law degrees,” said Salazar.

First Gen Week 2023 was a success on campus and left many, if not all, first-gen students feeling supported, encouraged and inspired.