2023 First-Gen Week
Join us for events throughout the week and on Wednesday, November 8 for a campus-wide celebration!
National First Gen Day – Campus-Wide Celebration
Wednesday, November 8
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Main Mall
Full Event Schedule
JSG First-Gen Celebration
9:00 – 11:00 a.m. CST | JBG 2.102 Holland Family Student Center | Jackson School Students, Staff and Faculty
Hello Jackson School students! Drop by for pastries and coffee to help celebrate and kick off First-Gen Week.
Ask Us Anything (About Academic Writing)
Noon – 1:00 p.m. CST | PCL, Learning Lab 4 | Open to: Undergraduate and Graduate Students
The University Writing Center invites first-generation students to a panel-style Q&A session with first-gen UWC staff. We know that academic writing can be confusing and sometimes the expectations can be left unsaid. This is an opportunity to ask questions and get clarity about the ins-and-outs of this genre in a low-pressure environment! Snacks will be provided!
First-Gen Pop-Up Party
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. CST | PCL Plaza | All Longhorns Welcome
Come celebrate First-Gen Week on Monday, November 6 from 1-2:30 PM at Perry-Castaneda Library (PCL) Plaza. Take a polaroid photo, write words of gratitude to your support system, and leave with a Lucky Lab cookie.
Find more Living the Longhorn Life events
FIRST GEN: A Memoir Book Signing
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. CST | Union Building Governor’s Room 3.116 | Open to: First-Gen Undergraduates
Come and meet Alejandra Campoverdi, the author of FIRST-GEN; A Memoir. Get your free copy of the book signed! Limited to the first 150 students who visit.
First Generation Research Panel
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. CST | WCP 2.410 | Open to: Undergraduates
The event is put on by the Academic Enrichment committee in the UT Senate of College Councils and will consist of panelists made up of first-generation students, researchers, and faculty who will present their research journeys and provide advice to students who are interested in doing the same.
Though the event focuses on the first-generation identity, this event is open to students from all majors and backgrounds. Our goal is to have them walk out feeling confident about how to navigate research on and off campus. The second half of the event will be a Q&A/mixer for students to deep dive into their specific interests with the speakers.
Engineering Student Services Coffee Chat
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. CST | EER 0.806/0.808 | Open to: Undergraduate First-Generation Engineers
ESS (Engineering Student Services) will be hosting a First-Generation Coffee Chat. Guest speakers from IEE (International Engineering Education) and ECAC (Engineering Career and Assistant Center) will present on Study Abroad options and Winter Break Externships. Hot Chocolate, coffee, and donuts will be provided.
College of Education First-Gen Week Celebration
Noon – 1:00 p.m. CST | Suzan Clark Glickman Lounge (SZB 2.706) | Open to: All First-Generation Longhorns and Supporters
In honor of National First-Gen Week, join the College of Education for a community-wide celebration of COE’s first-generation Longhorns!
Stop by the Suzan Clark Glickman Student Lounge in Sánchez for a midday event centered on fostering connections, sharing experiences, and providing support for our first-generation faculty, staff, and students.
Registration is encouraged. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided.
First-Gen Week Kickoff: Graduate Round-Table and Lunch
Noon – 1:30 p.m. CST | Flawn Academic Center (FAC), 2.143 – Classroom ABC | Open to: Graduate Students
Texas Career Engagement (TCE), in collaboration with the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), will host a lunch and resource fair for first-generation graduate students from across UT. Attendees will have a chance to discuss life at UT with fellow first-gen graduate students at all stages of their degree programs.
LinkedIn headshots by a professional photographer will also be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 1:00pm.
This kickoff will usher in a series of graduate-student-specific events as part of our First Gen Week programming (November 6-10).
Please join us as we celebrate and connect UT’s thriving first-gen graduate student population!
CNS First-Gen Party
12:00 – 2:00 p.m. CST | Gearing Hall Patio | Open to: Undergraduate Students
Are you a first-generation CNS student? Please join us for our CNS First-Gen Party in the Gearing Hall Patio. We will have free food, career and college resources, activities for wellness and relaxation, and more!
First-Gen Free Headshots
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. CST | Flawn Academic Center (FAC), 2.236 | Open to: Undergraduate Students
Free headshots for First-Gen week! Come to Texas Career Engagement to get a professional headshot for your LinkedIn profile.
Healthyhorns First-Gen Hangout
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. CST | Turtle Pond Lawn | Open to: Undergraduate Students
Stop by the Turtle Pond to hangout and learn about student well-being resources, participate in stress management and self-care activities, and get free food.
Moody First-Gen Celebration
11:30 – 1:30 p.m. CST | CMA 5.136 | Open to: Undergraduate Students, Faculty, and Staff
Thriving and Surviving as a First-Generation Graduate Student
12:15 p.m. CST | SRH 3.122 | Open to: Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Join the LBJ School of Public Affairs for an engaging panel with representation from current students, faculty, and staff who identify as first-generation. This event will bring together individuals from all walks of life to share their experiences of thriving and surviving as a first-generation student in a graduate program but specifically one that is centered within public policy and academia.
National First-Gen Day
4:30 – 6:30 p.m. CST | MAI Mall | Open to: All First-Gen Longhorns and Supporters
Come celebrate National First-Gen Day with your fellow First-Gen Longhorns! We’ll have free food, photo ops, music, and a few words from some wise First-Gen’s on campus.
UT Women’s Basketball v Southern University
Tip Off: 7 p.m.; Gates Open: 6 p.m. CST | Moody Center | Open to: Undergraduate Students
Cheer on the Longhorns against the Southern Jaguars! Free admission to all students and recognition of First-Gen students during the game. First 300 Students will get a FREE Whataburger Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit!
First Gen Graduate Student Breakfast: Navigating Advising and Mentoring
9:30 – 10:45 a.m. CST | Flawn Academic Center (FAC), 2.236 – Classroom ABC | Open to: Graduate Students
Join the Advanced Degree team from TCE for breakfast tacos and an informal conversation around seeking productive advising and mentorship.
Relationships with faculty advisors and other mentors, formal and informal, exert a large influence on your graduate career and outcomes. Learn some tips and insights about how to select and work with advisors and mentors that will set you up for success at UT and beyond!
This will also be a great opportunity to meet fellow first-generation advanced degree students and expand your on-campus network.
First-Gen Texas Career Connections
Noon CST | Flawn Academic Center (FAC), 2.236 | Open to: Undergraduate Students
Calling all First Gen students! Are you looking for ways to jumpstart your career early? Join us for free lunch and an introduction to the many career resources you have at your disposal at UT Austin.
We’ll discuss how Texas Career Engagement can help you explore different major and career options no matter your college and background. You’ll also learn about opportunities you can leverage to quickly gain career-relevant skills and experiences, including:
- Coursera certificates
- Job simulations
- Internships
- And more!
How to Talk About Yourself Workshop for Graduate Students & Postdocs
Noon – 1:30 p.m. CST | Flawn Academic Center (FAC), 2.142 – Classroom ABC | Open to: Graduate Students
The How to Talk About Yourself Workshop will help advanced degree students at any stage and in any discipline practice how to talk about themselves in different stages in the job search and application process. Regardless of their career goal, graduate students must figure out how to effectively represent themselves and their ideas to others both in-person and online.
During this workshop, attendees will learn about to highlight their skills and experience when introducing themselves or sharing achievements on social media.
COLA First Generation Celebration
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. CST | RLP DIES Center | Open to: Undergraduate Students
Calling all COLA First Gen students! Come to the DIES Center to meet other first-gen students, enjoy dinner on us, and meet the Dean. RSVP is required for access to dinner and exclusive swag!
Bridging Disciplines Programs Information Session for First-Gen Students
4:30 – 5:30 p.m. CST | Flawn Academic Center (FAC) 4 | Open to: Undergraduate Students
Come to this information session to learn how a Bridging Disciplines Programs (BDPs) certificate can complement your UT Austin experience as a First-Gen student. The BDPs let UT undergraduates explore an interdisciplinary area of specialization that complements your major. BDP certificates can be individualized to suit your goals, and students pursuing a BDP certificate gain access to courses from across the university, internship, and research experiences, BDP academic advising, and a network of BDP students and alumni.
SHARE Circle: Talking to Family About Mental Health
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. CST | RLP 0.124 | Open to: Undergraduate Students
Join the Longhorn SHARE Project for an empowering peer-led conversation! Shame and stigma around mental health can affect many of us as first-gen students. Being on our own for the first time, adjusting to a complex institutional culture, and carrying the weight of our families’ hopes and expectations is a LOT to manage – and if the people closest to us carry stigmatized beliefs about help-seeking for mental health, where can we turn for support and understanding? Is it possible to work through conflicting views about mental health without harming our relationships? How can we support each other as peers in overcoming self-stigma, normalizing common struggles, and harnessing our strengths and inner resources?
Let’s gather together to share our experiences over some light snacks as a first gen UT “family”. This is a students-only event without a formal hierarchy to ensure all participants’ voices are heard and valued.
Firstgiving
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. CST | Littlefield Patio Café | Open to: Undergraduate Students
UHD will be hosting a free dinner for first-gen students to connect with each other and have meaningful interactions with invited faculty and staff members as well. We are limiting the capacity to 100 attendees so RSVP will be required.
TBD
TBDOpen to: Undergraduate Students
Please check back in late October. More events will be added soon.