Celebration Event Captures the Essence of the First-Generation Student Experience
“My life has changed since the first day I stepped foot on this campus, and I have never regretted it since. To be the first in my family to go to college, I am proud to say that it all started with Mission College.” – Deja Nua
On or around November 8th each year, hundreds of higher education institutions join together to raise awareness of the first-generation college student identity by advancing an asset-based, national narrative of these students’ experiences and outcomes. For the second year in a row, Mission College hosted an event to shine a bright spotlight on its own first-generation student population and raise money for student scholarships.
Led by its TRIO and EOPS student support programs, the Mission College First-Generation Celebration event featured powerful narratives about the journeys of its students. Mission College alumnus, Louie Pinpin, spoke about his journey as a first-generation student who graduated from Mission College, then from UC Davis, and is now a REACH Postbaccalaureate Scholar at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Louie’s impactful remarks highlighted the value of his time at Mission College and gave everyone a sneak peek into the next chapter in his story: PhD programs.
Deja Nua, a first-generation student who is currently pursuing a nursing degree at Mission College, shared her own experience with a speech that featured her “can-do” spirit and the role that the Mission College TRIO program has played in her success:
"Currently, I am majoring in nursing, and it has been one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced. To become a nurse, it takes time, patience, humility, and hard work. Coming from humble beginnings, attending a college has always been looked at as a luxury. Being the first of my generation, it is an exciting feeling to become the first one to work towards having a degree. With this long-term goal, I can prove to my family that our financial hardships and struggles should never be the reason to give up. Instead, we push ahead to get the life that we want to have. The TRIO program has helped me tremendously. I was assigned to a personal academic counselor, Julia Wong, and she ensured I got the best education at Mission College. TRIO helped me gain leadership skills in my own life and even at my place of work. Mission college is helping me become a leader in my family and community. All of this has helped me realize I could overcome my boundaries and limitations as a young single mother. I love being a part of the Mission college community."
In addition to raising awareness, the team set a goal to raise $15,000 for first-generation college student scholarships. Thanks to the very generous support of every person who donated, as well as event sponsors Arteagas Food Center, Meriwest Credit Union, and Goodtime Bar, the event raised $12,400 in scholarship support.
If you are moved by Deja's words and want to be part of empowering other first-generation
college students, please consider making a donation to help the team raise the $2,600 needed to meet their fundraising goal. All proceeds
will support scholarships for first-generation students.
As Manuel Salazar, Program Director of TRIO Student Support Services, shared, “I’ve been involved in work with first-gen students for nearly 30 years. It’s always special when our community comes together, especially those who were first-generation students themselves, to lift others up. When we break down the barriers that are in place, there’s no limit to what our first-generation scholars can achieve.”
If you would like to be involved in the 2025 First-Generation Student Celebration at Mission College, please reach out to our Advancement Team at 408-741-2164. It's never too early to sign up as a sponsor or to be part of the team who puts this special event together.
