Prominent First-Gen Educators to Offer ‘Stories for Success’ at WT Event

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Several prominent area educators will speak about their experiences as the first members of their family to pursue higher education in an upcoming event at West Texas A&M University.

WT’s Office for Engaged Citizenship will host a “We Are One” talk featuring several contributors to “First-Gen Stories for Success,” a book compiled by WT’s Dr. George Pacheco Jr.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 3 in Legacy Hall inside the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on WT’s Canyon campus.

The book collects essays by Pacheco, several of his WT colleagues and scholars from across the country that address the balance between a student’s goals and their family’s plans, the importance of student organizations and mentorship, and how to create a path to success, among other topics.

“When I looked around, there was nothing available like this,” said Pacheco, the founding adviser for WT’s F1RSTGEN student organization and himself a first-generation student. “I want this book to help these students find their way by learning from the authors’ own stories. I hope the students see themselves in those shoes.”

Pacheco, WT associate professor of communication, will be joined in the panel discussion by Dr. Shanna Peeples, WT's John G. O'Brien Distinguished Chair in Education; Dr. Nancy Garcia, assistant professor of media communication; Dr. Lisa Garza, associate professor of sociology; Jonathan Cordova, program coordinator for Study Abroad and Nationally Competitive Scholarships; and Melodie Graves, associate director of academic advising at Amarillo College.

“This event presents a valuable opportunity for faculty and staff to gain insights into serving first-generation students and for first-generation students to better understand and navigate their academic journey,” said Angela Allen, director of WT’s Office for Engaged Citizenship.

WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, offers numerous programs, services and initiatives for first-generation students, including the F1RSTGEN student organization. WT was named in March 2022 to the 2022-23 First-Gen Forward cohort, among 53 institutions around the country.

Currently, WT’s undergraduate population is more than 47 percent first-generation.

Reflecting and serving the diverse population of the Texas Panhandle, including first-generation students, is a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $150 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.

Photo: Speakers for WT’s Office for Engaged Citizenship's “We Are One” talk on first-generation students are scheduled to include, clockwise from top left, Jonathan Cordova, Dr. Nancy Garcia, Dr. Lisa Garza, Dr. Shanna Peeples, Dr. George Pacheco Jr. and Melodie Graves.

—WT—