Alumni Perspectives: Navigating Yale & Beyond | FSY 2022

Of the 1,557 students in the Yale College Class of 2026, 18 percent are first-generation and 20 percent received Pell grants. Some of those students – 92 of them – got to meet with 25 alumni on July 23, 2022, as part of the First-year Scholars at Yale (FSY) program. Participating in the program for the 7th straight year, 1stGenYale members were thrilled to be back in person for FSY for the first time since 2019.

The day began with lunch and presentations from our FSY partners: Jeanne Follansbee, dean of Yale’s summer session and associate dean of Yale College; Pericles Lewis, dean of Yale College; and Professor Albert Laguna, associate professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and faculty director of FSY.

Professor Laguna then moderated a panel with alumni Allie Ossa ’11, Yonas Asfaw-Cooper ’17, Christian Milian-Santiago ’21, and Suzanne Solensky ’83, who shared their stories with honesty and passion. A reception followed, at which students and alumni could mingle, network, and hear and learn from each other.

Read more about the program in "Yale Alumni Support 92 First-Year Scholars at Yale in 7th Annual Program," published in YAA News.

Photo credit: Hedy Tung ’24 (TC)