First-Generation Student Support

Jesse Cetz

Welcome! My name is Jesse Cetz. I have the honor of serving our first-generation undergraduate students as director of first generation student success.

A first-generation college student is a student whose parents or guardians have not completed a four-year college degree.

You are warmly invited into our first-gen community. We believe you are remarkable and deserve to thrive at George Fox. Our mission is to empower first-gen students to celebrate their story, find their voice, and emerge into the world as agents of faith.

We provide empowerment programs such as LEAD Mentorship for incoming students, monthly connection events, and recurring educational programs that open opportunities for first-gen students to thrive as a community.

I invite you to visit us at the Intercultural Resource Center!

LEAD Mentorship Program

The LEAD Mentor program (Learn, Engage, Achieve, Develop) is designed for incoming first-generation students at George Fox. First-Gen students are paired with upper-class first-gen students who meet with them twice a month for their first year at George Fox.

We recognize that navigating college can be a transition for many of our students; our hope is that LEAD mentees gain connection and guidance as they begin their academic journey.

National First-Gen Day - November 8

Watch video: First-Generation College Celebration

Why do we celebrate first-generation students on November 8? It's the anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which emerged from President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty and was intended to help level a playing field that for too long had been weighed against Americans from minority and low-income backgrounds.

Resources

George Fox First-Year Terms to Know
5 Tips for First-Gen Students

Questions?

Jesse Cetz

Jesse Cetz

Director of First Generation Student Success

Liberation Scholars Project Manager