The newly established First Generation Club, dubbed First-Gen Club, provides a safe space for all students born in the US to immigrant parents to discuss their experiences and struggles. Club leaders hope that members will be able to connect with their peers and form a strong community.
The First Generation Club was originally formed by five juniors who noticed that their friend groups consisted of only first-generation students. Now in their final year of high school, they hope to bring their conversations to any students who need support or simply want to talk.
Decisions in the club are typically made by mutual discussion, and occasionally, they consult Mr. Li, their club advisor. During meetings, club leaders usually present slideshows regarding college admissions, such as scholarships. Some scholarships and resources that they have talked about include Niche, Fastweb, and Unigo. Additionally, they have introduced programs like Questbridge, GE Reagan Scholarship, and the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation. Though much of the information they are providing currently is aimed towards college-bound seniors, the First Generation Club welcomes all Tech students from sophomore to seniors.
More importantly, they also host discussions about their struggle and relationships as first-generation students. In recent meetings, they have gone in-depth about the opportunities and privileges that they have or lack due to their identity. In their future meetings, members will continue to share more about themselves in order to get to know each other better and see what they have in common as well as what differences they may have.
With school closed due to the ongoing pandemic, they currently do not have any major projects in progress. However, the club plans to hold some fundraising events to help local organizations and expand their club. Any tenth to twelfth graders seeking resources for the college application process or just looking for a safe space to have heartfelt conversations are encouraged to join First Generation Club.
For more information, join the First Generation Club’s next meeting during Tutorial and follow their Instagram: @oths.firstgen. Meetings are typically held biweekly through Zoom.