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F1RSTGEN Week to Celebrate WT’s First-Generation Students
Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu
CANYON, Texas — An organization potentially representing about half of West Texas A&M University’s student population recruit new members and celebrate its accomplishments during F1RSTGEN Week.
Tying in with Nov. 8’s National First-Generation College Student Day, F1RSTGEN Week will run Nov. 7 to 11.
F1RSTGEN is a student-led organization that encourages and supports first-generation college students by promoting academic success and retention among WT students.
“F1RSTGEN Week allows us to honor every first-generation college student, faculty, staff, alumni and supporter here at WT,” said Jonathan Cordova, F1RSTGEN adviser and program coordinator for Study Abroad and nationally competitive scholarships. “We are very grateful of the alumni who forged the path our current students walk today, our faculty and staff who currently assist our students, and the F1RSTGEN members who continue to create innovative ways to engage students through the organization.”
Currently, approximately 48 percent of WT’s student population is first generation.
The week’s activities will be highlighted by a Yule Ball at 6 p.m. Nov. 8 inside Legacy Hall in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. The Harry Potter-themed banquet will honor first-generation college students, faculty and staff.
Other activities will include an information table from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 7 in the JBK commons area; a resources panel with Study Abroad, McNair Scholars and AmeriCorps at 5 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Legends Room in the JBK; game night at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Virgil Henson Activities Center; and an open mic session at 1 p.m. Nov. 11 in Legends.
Meeting the needs of the diverse population of the Texas Panhandle is a key goal of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised more than $110 million.
About West Texas A&M University
WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.
—WT—