LSU put its first-generation students at the forefront during FirstGen Celebration Week with events that provided support and resources for them.

The week consisted of over 15 events focused on networking, self-care, budgeting, and giving advice to help first-generation students.

“It’s about showing that they’re not alone and that we’re here to help them,” said Erwin Torres, a member of LSU’s FirstGen Forward Network Committee.

Committee members hosted events along with different organizations and departments on campus. The Olinde Career Center, the Alumni Association, LSU Libraries and the Center of Academic Success were just a few of those involved.

The week kicked off with a networking workshop on Monday and information sessions on budgeting and building resumes on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, students met for donuts, coffee and wellness advice. In a small conference room, third-year graduate student Tracy Lyu led a presentation on self-care and how to reduce stress.

It started with guided meditation — closed eyes, deep breaths in and audible exhales. She prompted questions about what students were grateful for and what their deepest desire was.

After everyone opened their eyes, she talked about stress and how it can lead to issues like burnout. She said first-generation students can deal with high expectations from parents that increase stress.

For Maddie Woodson, her stress was more timely than ever. She said she was taking the LSAT later that day and needed to recenter herself beforehand.

Woodson was stressed last time she took the exam and it ended up negatively affecting her score. She said she found the meditation eased her turmoil and prepared her for the day.

Woodson, an environmental management systems senior, said being a first-generation student at LSU was difficult. But she found it got better over time.

“It’s hard to talk to your friends about something they don’t understand,” Woodson said.

This is why Lyu offered coping strategies to use in future stressful moments. One involved grounding themselves through senses. Another involved giving students a self-care checklist with suggestions like getting a full night’s sleep, drinking more water, reading a book and expressing gratitude.

The FirstGen Forward Network Committee started the celebration in 2023 with only one day and expanded into a full week last year. A little over a third of LSU students are first generation, which Torres said is slightly above the national average.

Torres said first-generation students often feel like they are the only ones experiencing these struggles, but these spaces allow them to share that experience with others. Other students, Torres said, do not realize they are first generation until they get to college.

“I always tell people to consider it your superpower,” Torres said.

Giving students superpowers is what the Center of Academic Success set out to do. In the basement of Coates Hall, students could work with a CAS Promise Scholar to help plan out their final exams.

One of five mentors would talk to a student one-on-one about how school was going. Tearra Frank, a CAS mentor, said they prioritize telling personal stories and just chatting with students.

This was clear as mentors and students shared their experiences in friendly conversations. Mentors asked questions such as how the student usually studied and if they were enjoying their classes.

While talking, students looked at the remaining month of the semester and wrote down final exams, quizzes and papers that were due in a planner.

Along with the planner, CAS provided a master to-do list that allowed students to plan out more detailed steps to study including what lectures to go over or what they need to read before classes.

Frank said first-generation students struggle with seeking help because they think it is a “them” problem, but that is not the case. She tells students it is okay for their grades to drop after high school while they are dealing with the transition to college.

“I went through that,” Frank said, “but I’m not there anymore so let me show you how I got through that.”

This is what happened for Kassidy Theard, a psychology sophomore, who came hoping to get advice for her upcoming final. Theard said she had not done as well as she hoped for on her last biology test and needed advice.

Theard said coming to LSU as a first-generation student was intimidating at first because she did not have anyone to talk to about it. She said her CAS mentor was able to ease her worries about a future class she wanted to take.

On Thursday, students got to hear advice from people who came before them. Five first-generation graduate students sat on a panel talking about their journey and why they chose LSU.

The group shared how being a first-generation student can come with a lot of responsibility and pressure to achieve for their families. Many of them shared the experience of not knowing things such as how to be involved in research or what a “PhD” was at first.

The panel ended with parting words of advice reminding students to find time for themselves and remember that being a first-generation student is all about resilience.

Events concluded Friday with a breakfast that connected students with the committee members.

It all led up to National First-Generation Celebration Day on Saturday where students and faculty took over social media with the #LegendsBeginWithFirsts.

Outside the week, Torres said first-generation students can still find resources. Programs like the FirstGen Mentor Program offer students a chance to connect with professionals and focus on career readiness.

“The biggest thing is knowing that everything happening this week already happens every single day,” Torres said.