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Click here for our first Annual Report, 2019.

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Welcome to our 1stGenYale student intern, Nick Randos ’22+1, (Saybrook), immediate past Co-President of the Yale First-Gen and/or Low-income Advocacy Movement (YFAM). Nick is majoring in Political Science and one of 15 students in the Class of 2022 in the Multidisciplinary Academic Program, Human Rights at the Schell Center, with a focus on criminal justice reform and LGBTQ youth advocacy. He serves as Co-Coordinator, the Urban Fellows Program.

This is the program for the Blazing the Trail conference held on  4/14/18

Read more here, including video and press.

Hearing concerns by students who felt a lack of belonging at Yale, several alumni who had similar experiences and others who wanted to help, thought they might be able to provide support. Initiated as a pilot in April 2016, 1stGenYale, is an emerging alumni volunteer-led Shared Interest Group (SIG) of the Association of Yale Alumni. It is a community within a community of Yale alumni who:

❖ Are among the first in their families to attend college or graduate school

❖ Come from underserved families

❖ Want to make a difference and give our experiences forward

As alumni from all schools in President Salovey’s One Yale, we are a family. By sharing our stories, we connect to each other and support students to help them navigate and take advantage of all of Yale’s resources, including its alumni.

1stGenYale Alumni Perspectives: Navigating Yale & Beyond for First-Year Scholars at Yale. | Ted Jaditz ’79 | Yale Alumni News | July 25, 2024

Alumni advise NYC students on college access in annual Yale Day of Service program |Juan Carlos Salinas '03 MFA and Lise Chapman '81 MBA | Yale Alumni News | Posted June 25, 2024

2023 Yale Alumni Association Volunteer Awards | Yale Alumni News | November 21, 2023

1stGenYale: Looking Back to Move Forward | Yale Alumni News | Lise Chapman ’81 MBA, Barb Protacio ’81, and Michael Watson ’81 | May 3, 2023

First things first
Rebecca Beyer | Yale Alumni News | March 10, 2023

New website aims to help FGLI students chart academic journey
Brian Zhang | Yale Daily News | October 26, 2022

Summer Bulldogs Program helps FGLI secure summer internships
Tiffany Hu | Yale Daily News | October 26, 2022

Alumni Support 92 First-Year Scholars at Yale in 7th Annual Program
Michael Watson '81 | Yale Alumni | September 23, 2022

1stGenYale helps FGLI students grapple with pandemic’s effects on summer plans
Ella Attell | Yale Daily News | March 30, 2020

FGLI Students & Alumni Attend Family Weekend Picnic | Yale Daly News | 10/7/19

1st Gen alumni to share experiences at conference | Yale Daily News | 2/5/18

Blazing the Trail: First Gen Alums and Students Celebrate Their Shared Experiences | YaleWomen | 3/31/18

1st Generation Yale Conference to highlight alumni and faculty trailblazers | YaleNews| 4/9/18

1stGenYale Conference — Blazing the Trail | Yale Alumni Association | 4/14/18

1stGenYale conference builds sense of community, closer ties to Yale| YaleNews| 4/18/18

First-gen alumni gather at Yale | Yale Daily News | 4/16/18

Blazing the Trail PROGRAM BOOK | 1stGenYale 4/14/18

Dean Chun / Blazing the Trail | 3/4/18

First Generation — Low Income (LI) Support Office | Yale College | 2018

Letter from President. Salovey | Yale University | 9/6/18

Yale introduces FGLI Office | Yale Daily News | 9/6/18

The Yale Alumni Magazine cover story for Nov/Dec 1028 features 1stGenYale.

First-generation students convene at Yale | Yale Alumni News | May/Jun | 2017

Students invited to meet alumni at networking mixer  | Yale News | 11/2/17

CLY Event Promotes Connections in the Arts | Yale News | 2/25/16

CLY Event Connects Yale Students & Alumni | Yale News | 9/26/16

About 150 alumni gathered in New Haven for a 1stGenYale’s conference representing classes from 1956 to 2022, a broad geography, and most Yale schools.  There were a variety of opportunities for networking including pre and post conference gatherings.

The achieved goals included learning from diverse experiences from alumni who shared the first-generation, low-income, or underrepresented background.  Sixteen panels promoted career advancement across a variety of professional fields including arts, finance, and STEM. The conference provided a rare opportunity for 1stGen alumni and students to celebrate and learn from their diversity and their unique journeys.

1stGenYale continued to blaze a trail of focused alumni leadership. Through its Summer Bulldogs program partnership with the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance, 1stGenYale helped 99 current Yale students secure paid summer internships across the globe which were supported by the Yale Offices of Career Strategy and Fellowships & Funding, including 69 at nonprofit organizations.

The Summer Bulldogs program not only helped match Yale students with valuable professional opportunities, it provided non-profits with an enthusiastic, high-potential workforce without incurring budgetary impact. By engaging over 100 student applicants and nearly 100 alumni sponsors and volunteers across 6 decades of class years, 1stGenYale provided Yale alumni and students with a home of inclusion, opportunity, and lifelong friendships. With the Summer Bulldogs partnership with YANA, 1stGenYale supported economic diversity at Yale and represented Yale at its best.

1stGenYale is being honored for blazing a trail of focused alumni leadership. With its Summer Bulldogs program, 1stGenYale helped current Yale students secure rewarding summer research internships under academic faculty supervision at nonprofit organizations. Overall, 44 first-generation, low-income Yale College students found placements through the program, which was supported by the Yale Office of Career and Strategy.

To make this program a reality and a success, 1stGenYale built a powerful, hands-on pipeline – identifying opportunities, communicating them to students, preparing candidates, advocating for them, and following up with support during and after the summer. By providing first-generation, low-income students with an infrastructure of opportunity, 1stGenYale helped realize the promise of equal reward for equal effort and represented Yale at its best.

1stGenYale responded to the pandemic with nimbleness, a positive spirit, and strong volunteer leadership. With 13 timely webinars held March through June, 1stGenYale demonstrated excellence by engaging alumni of diverse backgrounds, attracting an audience of more than 1,400 alumni and student participants. Several webinars were targeted to, or hosted by, alumni from the past 10 to 12 years.

They focused on career advancement and networking with topics such as shifting gears with summer jobs and internships, managing gap semesters, handling virtual interviews, finding a job during the pandemic, and developing a strategy to change careers. Promoting inclusivity and connection during a crisis, these webinars showcased the resourcefulness and expertise of the community, including the 21 emerging alumni volunteers who created or hosted events.

1stGenYale was honored at the 2019 Yale Alumni Association (YAA) Assembly.

The Board of Governors Volunteer Leadership Committee gave 1stGenYale an Excellence Award for “embracing Yale values of openness, inclusion, collaboration, and impact, and for enhancing and renewing the lifelong Yale experience for all alumni.” All 1stGenYale alumni and students are grateful for YAA’s support.

The annual YAA Board of Governors Excellence Awards recognize the superior accomplishments of Yale’s classes, regional clubs, shared identity and interest groups, and graduate and professional school alumni associations. The successes reflected in these prizes raise standards and contribute to the growing impact of alumni activities throughout the entire Yale family worldwide. 1stGenYale's award for the 2017–2018 year, was  presented at the YAA Volunteer Leadership Awards Reception on the evening of Friday, November 9.

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