Students Ja’Toria Powell and Olivia Miller attend the 2023 First Gen Week kickoff. Photo by Angela Foster.
When Curel Jones came to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as a freshman in 2020, she quickly realized she was a bit in over her head.
As a first-generation student, Jones had no idea what to expect from college.
“One of the hardest parts of transitioning to college was realizing how different it was from high school,” said Jones, a senior marketing major from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. “I had to learn how to ask for help and seek out the support I needed—a skill that didn’t come naturally at first.”
She said the lack of support she initially experienced made her feel isolated.
“None of my family members fully understood the weight of balancing everything—academics, a social life, work and involvement in organizations, and my mental health,” she said. “To them, it might have seemed like just ‘school,’ but college is so much more than that.”
Crystal Edenfield, director of Student Success Programs at UTC, understands that this feeling can be common among first-generation students.
“First-gen students have obstacles that other students may face, but because of their lived experiences, they may navigate them a little differently,” she said.
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At the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year, approximately 20.1%
of the UTC student population
was considered first-generation college students.
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Fortunately, UTC has multiple initiatives to help these students get the most out of their college experience while enjoying every moment.
First Gen Mocs is an initiative comprised of three levels of engagement––a Living Learning Community (LLC), a mentor program and a virtual community––which help connect first-gen students with the resources they need to succeed.
- For all three levels, students are added to a group chat specifically for first-gen students and are invited to first-gen events and activities.
- Those in the mentor program and LLC receive a first-gen peer mentor, get to move in early and are invited to attend the First Gen Mocs Summit.
- On top of the previous perks, students in the LLC have a guaranteed spot in Lockmiller Apartments and earn two credits with First Year Experience courses for first-gen students.
From Monday, Nov. 4-Friday, Nov. 8, UTC will celebrate First Gen Week with a week of events and activities.
“What we’ve tried to do is connect the students to each other, to campus and to Chattanooga,” Edenfield said. “We really just try to build meaningful relationships with the first-gen students to give them the confidence to succeed.”
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Thanks to these resources, Jones was able to get on track to become a successful college student.
She got involved in Student Support Services and Student Success Programs, both of which she said have “profoundly shaped my academic journey and personal well-being.”
Curel Jones
She also joined First in Fletcher, a mentorship program for first-generation students in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. Now, she is in her second year of serving as president for the First in Fletcher council.
As president, Jones has given presentations to first-year classes about the power of networking, helped organize a panel of first-gen staff at UTC to share their personal experiences, hosted a food drive for Scrappy’s Cupboard and held events for business students.
“Leading the council has made me grow in ways I never anticipated. Working with a diverse group of personalities challenged me to be adaptable, patient and empathetic,” Jones said.
“Being in this leadership role has shaped me into a leader I am genuinely proud of—someone I would look up to myself. I’m incredibly grateful for my council and executive team, whose support has made every challenge worthwhile.”
As a first-gen student, she said that she not only tells other first-gen students about campus resources, but she also connects them to faculty members, directors and vice chancellors who have personally supported her.
“Helping other first-gen students has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time on campus,” she said. “I understand the struggles they face because I’ve been there myself. It’s incredibly fulfilling to guide them through challenges, introduce them to resources that made a difference in my journey, and show them how these tools can benefit them, too.
“I’m proud to be a first gen and I’m proud to be here.”
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For junior chemistry major and Innovations in Honors minor Neel Patel, it was an equally difficult first semester of college.
“My first semester was really rough,” Patel said. “The first three weeks, there were so many circumstances stacked against me. I would have loved to be mentored; I didn’t know anything about it. Just having a mentor that was also first gen would have helped me so much.”
Neel Patel
Now, as a mentor himself, Patel actively supports incoming first-gen students each fall semester, helping them access resources he wishes he had known about.
“I personally help because I know I would have succeeded from that help,” he said. “It helps heal me a little knowing I can help them.”
Patel considers Student Support Services a significant resource on campus, describing it as “a second home.”
“They offer tutoring, free printing, help and advisement, and sometimes free snacks. I can just chill there and talk to any of the staff in there. They’re all sweet and amazing,” Patel said.
He encouraged other first-generation students to seek out the many resources that are available to them.
“If my freshman self saw all the things I was a part of, involved with, all the things that I’ve achieved, he would have definitely been proud of how far I’ve got compared to how it was freshman year,” he said.
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William Bumcum, a sophomore computer science major from Chattanooga, went into college with the usual nervousness that many first-generation students feel.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Bumcum said. “A lot of my peers had help from their parents, but I had to Google everything. I went into college with the expectation that I had to figure out everything on my own, and that’s pretty daunting.”
He knew that to feel more confident, he had to branch out. He joined the First Gen Moc mentorship program, which he found to be a crucial part of his college transition.
“I got matched with a mentor,” he said. “Consistently throughout the semester, they would check up on us, make sure that everything was going smoothly and answered any questions.
William Bumcum
“It made integrating into the UTC community seamless for me. It gave me the confidence to have a good start to my college career.”
He also became involved with Student Support Services, which he credits for further enhancing his college experience.
“I still use SSS even to this day,” he said. “I got my interview prep there. That’s how I was so confident in my freshman year applying for internships.”
Now, he is returning the favor by serving as a math tutor with Student Support Services and mentoring First Gen Mocs.
“People helped me out last year, so I wanted to pass that back to other people,” he said. “It’s important to me to be a resource to other people.”
Bumcum acknowledged how the support he received as a first-year, first-generation student shaped his journey.
“I went from being nervous about everything to walking with confidence. Even if I don’t know something, someone in the community will be there to help,” he said. “That confidence trickles into your grades, your involvement, your mental health, everything.”
He said he is committed to helping other first-gen students find their way.
“Helping other first-gen students has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time on campus,” he said. “I wouldn’t be in the position I am now without other people’s help, and it feels right to pass that same mentorship on to others.”
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Calendar of First Gen Week events:
Monday, Nov. 4
- 3-5 p.m., Faces of First Gen, University Center Tables
- 5-7 p.m., Glow Putt Putt, Tennessee Room
Tuesday, Nov. 5
- All day, Instagram spotlights, @utcstudentsuccess
Wednesday, Nov. 6
- 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Fresh Check Day, Lupton Hall
- 3-4 p.m., Dr. Shawn Boyd’s “How to Play the Game of College,” Student Support Services, 739 McCallie Ave.
Thursday, Nov. 7
- 9-10:30 a.m., Sweatshirt Giveaway, top of Cardiac Hill
Friday, Nov. 8
- 2-4 p.m., National First-Generation College Celebration Day: First Gens are Game Changers, Student Support Services, 739 McCallie Ave.
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