For our sixth year in a row, 1stGenYale was proud to participate in the First-year Scholars at Yale (FSY) program (fsy.yale.edu) – virtually again this summer. FSY is a six-week program designed for incoming Yale College students who are from low-income, under-resourced backgrounds and are among the first in their families to attend college.
Even before these 92 invited students start their fall semester, FSY prepares them for their transition to become Yale students. They learn about campus life, sharpen their academic skills, and hear about Yale’s resources – including the 42 alumni who shared their stories in our virtual Alumni Perspectives program.
Statistics on the alumni who participated:
– 70% represented Yale College, from the Class of 2020 and back through each decade to classes in the ’70s
– 30% were from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (astrophysics, chemistry, economics, and psychology) and the professional schools (Architecture, Law, Management, Medicine, and Public Health)
– Careers included architects, attorneys, consultants, doctors, educators, financial advisors, HR directors, media programmers, product developers, and public service professionals
– Alumni joined from 14 states, Washington, DC, Mexico City, and Puerto Rico
We thank Yale College Dean Marvin Chun, FSY Faculty Director Albert Laguna, and Michael Fitzpatrick for their participation and support.
One student’s comments were particularly touching: “One of the things which really stuck out for me was when one of the alumni said, ‘You can create your own reality and your own dream. Keep pursuing what you love and don’t let anyone deter you.’ That was really beautiful to me and something which we can all learn from. I also found it very encouraging since it is easy to put all the emphasis on the grades and performance. I was thankful to be part of this program.”