To mark the national First-Generation College Celebration, Oregon State University – Cascades will host two events that recognize the achievements of first-generation students and graduates, and provide resources for first-generation students’ academic and personal success.
The First-Generation College Celebration commemorates the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965 on Nov. 8 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Nearly 25% of students at OSU-Cascades are first-generation college students. Since OSU-Cascades was founded in 2001, more than 250 first-generation students have been awarded bachelor’s degrees.
Events hosted for first-generation students during OSU-Cascades’ First-Generation College Celebration include:
- A TRIO First Gen Panel from 4-5:50 p.m. on Nov. 6 in Tykeson Hall, Room 111. Panelists will share their personal and career journeys as first-generation students. Panelists include Andrés Portela, equity and inclusion director with the city of Bend; Jeremy Harding, a quality assurance analyst at Deschutes Brewery; Jennifer Stephenson a school-based health team supervisor with Deschutes County Behavioral Health and Josh Spoelstra, director of skier services at Mt. Bachelor.
- A professional development event, First Gen Nexus: Fostering Connections, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., Nov. 14 in the Charles McGrath Atrium in Edward J. Ray Hall. The event features members of the Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Bend Emerging Talent helping students develop networking and interpersonal communication skills.
The Higher Education Act created federal financial aid programs to fund students’ education and made key investments in colleges and universities. Many of the programs, particularly TRIO programs, advance postsecondary education access, retention, and degree completion for today’s limited-income, first-generation college students.
About OSU-Cascades: Oregon State University’s campus in Bend brings higher education to Central Oregon, the fastest growing region in the state. Surrounded by mountains, forest and high desert, OSU-Cascades is a highly innovative campus of a top-tier land grant research university, offering small classes that accelerate faculty-student mentoring and experiential learning. Degree programs meet industry and economic needs in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, natural ecosystems, health and wellness, and arts and sciences, and prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges. OSU-Cascades is expanding to serve 3,000 to 5,000 students, building a 128-acre campus with net-zero goals.