Angela Heins
North Central Missouri College

Being the first person in your family to attend college is something worth celebrating. It can also mean learning a lot of things for the first time, sometimes without knowing there were things you were supposed to know.

For first-generation college students, the “invisible rules” of college can be difficult to navigate. What does a certain college term mean? When is an important deadline? Who should you talk to when you have a question? What are office hours, and are you actually supposed to go? Even something as simple as finding affordable textbooks may be something a student has to figure out on their own.

At NCMC, the First Gen Club was created to make that journey a little less overwhelming—and a lot less lonely.

First Gen Club provides support and community for students whose parent(s) have not attained a four-year college degree. The club gives students opportunities to connect with their peers, learn about academic and community resources, develop leadership skills, and build relationships with mentors and First Gen graduates who have already navigated college.

As the First Gen Club advisor, I see the value of that community firsthand. I was a first-generation college student myself, and I remember what it was like to be unaware of some of those unwritten expectations. I remember not understanding certain college terms or deadlines, not knowing that office hours were something I could actually use, and spending more money than necessary on textbooks because I didn’t know about other options.

I also remember having one person in college who would check in on me simply because they wanted to know how I was doing. That experience has stayed with me, and it is something I want to provide for students today: someone in their corner.

First Gen Club is about more than being the first. It is about finding people you can talk to, having someone who can help, and finding a place where you belong. At NCMC, students come from a variety of backgrounds, including recent high school graduates from rural communities and non-traditional students. First Gen can provide a place to find community, even when students may not feel like they fit in anywhere else.

And, of course, we want to have fun, too! First Gen Club hosts monthly meetings and participates in activities such as NCMC’s Trick-or-Treat event, movie nights, and a First Gen Day celebration on November 8th (observed this year on November 9th). These experiences give students opportunities to make friends, get involved, and build leadership skills they can carry with them to their next school, future careers, and beyond.

Michael Turner, First Gen Club Vice-President, described his experience this way: “First Gen Club is a great way for incoming students to find community, as well as find resources on their college journey. First Gen is my rock!”

Being the first can mean breaking new ground for yourself and your family. But being first does not mean you have to figure everything out alone.

At NCMC, First Gen Club is here to remind students that they have people in their corner—and that their first-generation journey is something to be proud of.