As 85 students walked into the Union Underground on Tuesday night, they were handed a slip of paper with a date four years in advance: May 9, 2015 — graduation.
Though that day might seem distant, administrators want to make sure the University’s first-generation students focus on completing the four-year education that eluded their parents.
Carolina Firsts — a campus organization that supports students who are the first in their families to attend a four-year college — hosted the Tuesday event, which was a part of UNC’s Week of Welcome.
Carolina Firsts President Renato Pereyra said the dinner was meant to facilitate friendships, connections and build a solid foundation of support for new first-generation students.
“Peer support is vital for reaching graduation,” he said.
In the past five years, the percentage of first-generation students in each incoming class has hovered around 18 percent, and the number of applicants has also been growing. In total, about one-fifth of the UNC population is first generation.
But first-generation students are statistically less likely to graduate than students who have parents with college degrees, said Cynthia Demetriou, director of retention in the office of undergraduate education.
“Our goal is to retain students by getting them in touch with academic resources and becoming acclimated to college life,” Demetriou said.
She added that Carolina Firsts —an organization developed four years ago by students who wished to improve retention rates — provides a lot of this support.
“First-generation students tend to come from lower-income families and underrepresented populations,” Demetriou said.
