“Farmingdale State College hosts a week-long celebration for its first-generation students”

By Bossuanny Macías 

Farmingdale ,N.Y November 18, 2025; Farmingdale State College hosts a week-long celebration in honor of first-generation college students. This event is designed to highlight and celebrate the achievements of Farmingdale's first-generation community.

The 2025 fifth-annual first-generation college student celebration consists of five days of events full of food and giveaways. The celebrations kicked off on Tuesday November 4th in the campus center ballroom where they hosted all first-generation freshman students for a morning full of community-building activities, networking, and informative speakers. The rest of the week continued to be a week full of events designed to bring first-generation students together and help them gain a sense of community in which they got to know their peers and heard from members of their community as well as from the president of the school. 

In this week-long event, Farmingdale connected with freshman students who could appreciate the extra guidance and sense of community being offered by such an event, and upperclassmen students who still benefit from meeting their peers and further creating connections with students who have had similar experiences to them. This event also allowed first-generation college students to connect with high school students and offer them mentorship and help them gain future connections that will benefit them once they begin their college career.

First-generation college students are a big and important part of Farmingdale State College according to the Farmingdale State College website about 30% of Farmingdale is first generation college students.  

First-generation college students are in charge of filling out college applications and everything else on their own due to their family having no prior experience which can be a stressful experience on top of transitioning from high school to college. These sorts of events allow students to connect with other students who share similar backgrounds with them and understand each other's struggles. This event allows students to form a community and meet new people who will help them enjoy their college experience as well as help each other during this process. 

These events allow students to hear stories from staff who are also first-generation college students and how they overcame the struggles related to being a first-generation college student. These stories from accomplished staff members let students see what they are capable of doing just like these esteemed staff members have throughout their careers. 

These events are beneficial in providing support and recognition to first-generation students due to the struggles that first-generation students experience while beginning their college career as well as their professional development. According to an article by the Pew Research Center, the complicated steps of deciding to pursue a higher education can be even more difficult without a parent or guardian who has also attended college. ‘’Enrolling in U.S. higher education is a complicated multistep process that includes completing college prep coursework in high school and navigating the admissions and financial aid process. Whether labeled “college knowledge” or “cultural capital,” students whose parents have their own experience and success in how to go to college have greater access to postsecondary education. Once on campus, students whose parents have not attended college are less likely to complete a degree’’. 

Due to the difficulty of the college experience that first-generation students experience, events such as the first-generation celebration week are essential to celebrate the effort and dedication that first-generation students put into pursuing a higher education. This week-long celebration allows students to see their hard work being acknowledged and to be part of a community in which they all understand each other's experiences and can help each other grow within Farmingdale State College and once they are outside as well. 

FSC hosts week long celebration for first generation students