1stGen Yale is a shared-interest group spearheaded by YAA Board of Governors member Lise Pfeiffer Chapman SOM ’81: “I saw the need to connect alumni as an important resource for students who share being first-generation to college or graduate school and from low-income backgrounds…alumni from all schools connect with each other based on shared experiences and can give back to support current students.”
The Yale experience for some may have included financial constraints and personal hurdles that were usually kept secret, compounding a sense of difference and isolation. Wondering what you were doing at Yale wasn’t unique to first-generation or low-income students, but these students had another dimension of feeling the odd-person-out that often included economic realities. From the vantage of distance and life successes, 1stGen Yale offers alumni an opportunity for openness and reflection, with the aim of making things better now. By telling stories as former students in diverse careers, current students know that they are not alone: we all belong to the Yale family.
You don’t have to be a 1stGen-er to get involved. There are many ways you can be of value, including different forms of mentoring, supporting a newly created fund for current first-generation and low-income students, offering internships, participating in workshops and panel discussions, and more. Not just for conjuring up memories, the shared-interest group is very active, with on-campus activities and regular webinars. Featured in a recent Yale Alumni Magazine, 1stGen Yale has rapidly become a place for connection among alumni and has been a force for change at the university.
On Sunday, March 22nd, starting at 3:00 pm, there will be a get-together as a first step to forming a Colorado chapter of 1st Gen Yale. With no future obligation, come to the Wynkoop Brewing Company, 1634 18th Street Denver. Order off the menu. Street parking is free on Sunday, and the Wynkoop is a short walk from Union Station. Although not a first-generation student, past CYA president John Boak ’70 was a part of the birth of 1stGen Yale. He and CYA president Stephanie Grilli will be there. Please RSVP: steph@artscribe.net.