Corey A. King, Chancellor | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Corey A. King, Chancellor | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Kaitlyn Strupp, a Biology major from Crystal Lake, Illinois, is one of more than 4,300 first-generation college students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater across its Whitewater and Rock County campuses. First-generation students—those who are the first in their families to attend college—make up over one-third of UW-Whitewater's undergraduate population. On the Rock County campus, 58 percent of students are first-generation.
UW-Whitewater participates in the annual First-Generation College Celebration (FGCC), a national initiative led by First-Gen Forward. FGCC Day takes place on November 8 and aims to recognize the contributions of first-generation students while connecting them with resources for academic success.
The university will mark the occasion with a kickoff event at noon on Monday, November 3, at the University Center on the Whitewater campus. A pop-up exhibit featuring photo portraits of first-generation Warhawk students, faculty, and staff is currently displayed at Roberta's Art Gallery. Students at both campuses can also participate in free giveaways throughout the week.
Chancellor Corey A. King is among several faculty and staff members who were also first-generation college graduates. He was featured in last year's exhibit and was recently recognized as a top executive in southern Wisconsin by the Milwaukee Business Journal.
"College just opened the world for me," King said in a video recording last fall. "From meeting people from various journeys and backgrounds and beliefs and ideas, gaining friends it just really developed me personally, both inside and outside of the classroom."
UW-Whitewater has taken steps to support first-generation student success by opening One Stop last fall—a space offering individualized guidance on financial aid, scholarships, advising, course registration, and student life.
More information about UW-Whitewater’s support for first-generation students can be found at uww.edu/students/first-generation.
Information from this story was sourced from MeritPages.com
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