FIRST Look

By Rachael Powles '22, August 24, 2023

First-Generation students take part in Jumpstart.

Shadayvia Wallace, director of the college’s First-Gen Program, led the day's events.

(Photo by Rachael Powles)

On August 15, incoming members of Ithaca College’s first-generation student community gathered for FIRST Look, a series of activities designed to prepare them for their college experience.

Part of IC’s Jumpstart programming, FIRST Look serves as an important opportunity for first-gen students to begin their transition to college life with the help of the First-Generation Center. Originally established within the Office of New Student and Transition Programs, the center works to address the unique needs of first-generation students, and the programming during Jumpstart is a critical component of that. Approximately 250 first-generation students enrolled at IC for the 2023 fall semester.

“Jumpstart gives students a leg up, an opportunity to get acclimated so they don’t feel like they have to rush right into orientation,” said Shadayvia Wallace, who is the director of the college’s First-Gen Program. “My campus partners extended themselves, so they can meet some of the faculty and staff before the craziness of the start of classes.”

“I’ve loved the activities and the people I’ve been able to meet at Jumpstart. I really liked the professors we met. I came to IC partly because of the opportunities students have to conduct research, so I’m glad I could learn more about them.”

Ashika Shah ’27

The event kicked off with ice-breaker activities, after which Wallace shared with the students the variety of resources available to support them through their academic journeys, such as the FIRST Place Residential Learning Community (RLC), which exclusively houses first-gen students, and the Tri-Alpha Honor Society, which provides recognition for their academic achievements.

As part of the programming, students travelled off-campus to The Clay School for a pottery-making class. (Photo by Rachael Powles '22)

Throughout the year, the First-Gen Center holds events and provides resources to help students, including financial, academic, and social support. The Ithaca Firsts Mentor Program also pairs students with a first-generation faculty or staff member who can help guide them throughout the school year.

Later that day, students traveled off-campus for activities designed to introduce them to the Ithaca area, including a pottery-making class at The Clay School and a trip to Via’s Cookies on the Ithaca Commons, owned and operated by Olivia Carpenter ’22.

Students then returned to campus to meet their future mentors. In a “speed dating” style set up, students had the opportunity to ask questions and form connections with representatives from the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Financial Services, the Office of Public Safety, and the School of Humanities and Sciences.

Ashika Shah ’27, who came to IC from Nepal and plans to study biology, appreciated the effort the college made to welcome first-gen students to campus.

At the end of the day, students wrote letters to their future selves to be opened on the day of their graduation. (Photo by Rachael Powles '22)

“I’ve loved the activities and the people I’ve been able to meet at Jumpstart,” says Shah. “I really liked the professors we met. I came to IC partly because of the opportunities students have to conduct research, so I’m glad I could learn more about them.”

Eudmarly Letrois Gedeon ’27 also took advantage of the event. Originally from Haiti, she attended an international high school in Hong Kong, where she learned about Ithaca College’s opportunities for international students. At IC, Gedeon plans to study business, and is also interested in exploring her love for theater and art.

“Jumpstart has been really nice so far,” says Gedeon, “Getting first-hand information about the resources available on campus has been very important to me. I now have a stack of flyers I can’t wait to go through!”

“The biggest thing we want students to take away from this day is that they aren’t alone in this. They don’t have to ‘do college’ on their own. We have a community of folks who really care about them, who want them to be successful and are here to help.”

Shadayvia Wallace, Director, First-Gen Program

For one of the final activities of the day, the students took some time to write a letter to their future selves to be opened on the day of their graduation, a chance to reflect on their whirlwind day and their hopes for the future.

Gedeon says she looks forward to opening her letter in four years. “I hope I made the most of my time in college and learned as much as I can, met great people, and made lasting bonds.”

Shah agrees: “I hope that I’m proud of myself on the day of my graduation.”

“The biggest thing we want students to take away from this day is that they aren’t alone in this,” said Wallace. “They don’t have to ‘do college’ on their own. We have a community of folks who really care about them, who want them to be successful and are here to help.”