Juan Veruete, Smeal’s inaugural assistant dean for undergraduate affairs, and Kelly Swigert, an academic advisor and assistant director of first generation and access initiatives, are on a mission. Their goal: support first-generation Smeal students from their transition to college through graduation day, and beyond.
The duo is one step closer to that goal thanks to FIRST@Smeal — a program designed to provide advising and academic support, networking, and professional development opportunities to students who are the first in their families to attend college, all while fostering a sense of community and belonging.
“Our research shows that there’s a performance gap at Smeal between first-generation students and those whose parents or grandparents earned a college degree, even though both groups of students enter Smeal with the same academic credentials,” Veruete says. “That’s the motivation behind FIRST@Smeal. It’s important to us that every student who comes to Smeal succeeds here.”
To begin, the college offered two sections of its PSU 6 (first-year seminar) course exclusively to students who self-identified as first-generation last year—something Swigert and Veruete both called “invaluable” for students.
“In that first-year seminar, students shared their struggles in adapting to college life,” Swigert says. “We heard about how isolating it can be to not have someone at home who understands their unique challenges or offers suggestions on how to navigate them. I think it helped them understand they’re not alone here.”
Already, the college has been able to address some of the financial challenges facing first-generation students through the awarding of Trustee Scholarships, which are granted each year to students with the highest levels of financial need.
Now, Veruete and Swigert are looking to address educational gaps, financial literacy, and other challenges unique to this population of students.
“We have a great vision for the FIRST@Smeal program, but it’s going to take financial resources to make it a reality,” Swigert says. “Our plan includes tutors to provide assistance for the entrance-to-major classes students traditionally struggle with; academic planners to teach and reinforce things like block scheduling, time management, and organizational skills; support for our student leadership team; networking and career development events; and social events that help build a sense of community.”
This fall, Penn State’s Lion Line student callers spent a week calling Smeal alumni and friends to raise funds for FIRST@Smeal. The college also raised funds for FIRST@Smeal as part of its GivingTuesday campaign. Vereute calls it “a great start,” but says the needs are still great.
Among their long-term plans, Veruete would like to see a special summer LEAP (Learning Edge Academic Program) pride for incoming first-generation students. Prides combine small, cohort-based courses with out-of-class programming and peer-mentoring to help students successfully transition to Penn State.
“We already know LEAP gives our first-generation students a tremendous advantage. Their cumulative GPAs tend to be higher at the end of fall semester and they’re more likely to graduate from Smeal than their peers who don’t join a pride,” he says. “The lifetime benefit of a Smeal degree is extraordinary. It’s so important that we help every student get there.”
—Anne Louise Cropp
