National First-Generation College Celebration Day
- Nov 8, 2024
- 2 min read
1stGenYale joined in the fun of National First-Generation College Celebration Day in 2024. Five alumni in five different cities created a series of gatherings and events around the country, in New York City, Washington DC, Boston, San Francisco, and New Haven, from November 8-14, 2024, in honor of November 8, a national day that recognizes the accomplishments and experiences of first-gen college students.
1stGenYale’s celebration kicked off on Friday, November 8, in Boston with an event hosted by Linda Chin ’81 — attendance at a performance by the Boston-based orchestra “A Far Cry.” Their concert featured music from four different world cultures, and two of the “Criers” are Yale School of Music alumni!
The following Saturday morning, November 9, and three thousand miles away, Joanne Siu ’90 hosted a picnic in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The engagement was exciting, and attendees enjoyed a beautiful day in the sunshine.
1stGenYalies also fostered their love of lifelong learning. Over 30 alumni and students from Yale College and the graduate and professional schools gathered on Friday, November 8, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a self-guided tour of “Mexican Prints at the Vanguard.” The exhibit focused on the legacies of artists like José Guadalupe Posada and Jean Charlot, whose stories exemplify resilience, cultural pride, and the power of creative expression.
Rounding out the celebration weekend on Sunday, November 10, was a tour at Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington DC, which Barb Protacio ’81 initiated. Nearly 30 alums and friends from the classes of 1977 through 2024 and throughout the greater DC area came to hear Dr. Joanne Baron and Dr. Noa Corcoran-Tadd present on Mayan glyphs and Andean artifacts.
A week after the official day, 1stGenYale was still celebrating – at our 9th annual Career Networking Mixer on Thursday, November 14. Over 150 alumni and students filled the Afro-American Cultural Center for a meal and an evening of mentoring and sharing career stories and aspirations – and we ended with a special cake to mark the first-gen celebration day.
A big thank you goes to Suzanne Solensky ’83, who developed and chaired this entire project – the first time 1stGenYale did a five-city alumni engagement series in only one week!
Comments