Weeklong UTSA festival celebrates first-generation Roadrunners

(March 29, 2018) -- To recognize the nearly half of undergraduates at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) who are the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree, UTSA is expanding its First-Gen Fest this year. The second annual festival has grown from one day to six, with a series of events April 2-7 at the Main and Downtown Campuses.

First-Gen Fest launched in 2017 to raise awareness about the experiences of students who are the first generation in their families completing a four-year degree. Approximately 45 percent of UTSA undergraduates are first-generation college students.

“Our inaugural First-Gen Fest in 2017 was an extraordinary success and helped give rise to new campus collaborations and initiatives for the benefit of our first-gen students,” said Rhonda M. Gonzales, associate vice provost for strategic initiatives and newly named interim vice president for student success. “We are so grateful to all the university partners who have joined this effort to allow us to make First-Gen Fest even bigger and better this year.”

New this year, First-Gen Fest features a series of programming for students, faculty, staff and student families. There also will be unique giveaways at each event.

The schedule of events include:

First-Gen Film Fest
Monday, 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Student Union Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02), Main Campus

This screening features two documentary films that focus on first-generation college students: "First Generation,” and "Why Not Us?"

First-Gen Fair
Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sombrilla, Main Campus
Wednesday, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Bill Miller Plaza, Downtown Campus

More than two dozen UTSA offices will be on hand to offer information tailored to the university's 11,000+ first-generation college students. There will be giveaways, games, food and music, and attendees can get a #FirstGenUTSA t-shirt.

First-Gen Poetry Slam
Thursday, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., Student Union Fountain Courtyard, Main Campus

Albuquerque Poet Laureate Jessica Helen Lopez will lead a night of slam poetry just for first-gen students, faculty and staff.

First-Gen Institute
Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Student Union Denman Room (SU 2.01.28), Main Campus

The First-Gen Institute is a free, one-day institute for UTSA faculty and staff, featuring presentations by David Laude from UT Austin and La’Tonya Rease Miles from UCLA. Register on RowdyLink by Tuesday, April 3.

First-Gen Familia Day/Dia de la Familia
Saturday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Main Building (MB 0.104/0.106), Main Campus

First-gen students are invited to bring their families to campus for an afternoon geared specially for parents and relatives of first-gen students.

— Rebecca Luther

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Learn more about UTSA First-Gen Fest.

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