This past week (November 7-11) was First Gen Week at Wellesley, with November 8 being the official First Gen Day recognized by colleges across the US since 2017. The week is meant to celebrate the accomplishments and discuss the experiences of Wellesley students who are the first in their families to attend college, including first-gen students who are low-income. The Office of Student Success manages first-gen week events each year, as their main focus as a department is to provide support and resources to underrepresented students at the college.
Plenty of first-gen, low-income (FGLI) students may also be disabled. As such, any academic and/or college life resources for FGLI students should also include the needs of disabled students. WellesleyPlus, a program specifically for FGLI first-years, offers academic advising to members through orientation staff, the PLTC, and Career Mentors. Introducing FGLI first-years to ADR (Accessibility and Disability Resources office) is crucial as well, to help them find academic resources and accommodations that can support them during their first semester of college. Students of any grade should be given knowledge about accessibility, but creating initial connections between ADR and first years early on keeps them informed their entire time at Wellesley.
Outside of the classroom, FGLI students with disabilities can have needs that should be made readily available to them. The Stone Center has a grant through the Student’s Aid Society (WSAS) for FGLI (or any low-income) students who need access to mental health care, but Wellesley should also work to ensure that the Stone Center as a department is already a well-run on-campus resource, especially for FGLI students with mental illness. Dining halls should include options that accommodate students with dietary restrictions, as no student should have to pay out of their own pocket for food the college states would be covered through their enrollment.
While the administration should be most responsible for helping disabled FGLI students have a positive, supportive college experience, all members of the Wellesley community can and should support their FGLI, disabled sibs. Listen actively and respectfully to their stories, and use your position as a student to advocate for equitable, accessible resources for these students.
Sources:
Naspa.org, https://firstgen.naspa.org/engagement/first-generation-college-celebration
WSAS, https://www.wellesley.edu/studentsaid/wsas_servicesgrants#Stone%20Ctr%20MHS%202022
Wellesley Plus, https://www.wellesley.edu/studentlife/intercultural/studentsuccess/wp
Office of Student Success, https://www.wellesley.edu/studentlife/intercultural/studentsuccess