KENOSHA, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) - Nearly 400 miles away from home at Carthage College, Autumn Williams clutches the necklace her grandmother gave her for her 20th birthday. While video chatting with her, she dangles it in front of the screen to show her grandmother she has a piece of home with her. 

Autumn’s grandmother smiles, telling her how proud she is of her being the first in their family to go to a traditional four-year college. She says Williams is an inspiration to her six younger siblings back home in Union, Missouri.

Williams is just one of the 520 first-generations students enrolled at Carthage College. Today is First Generation Student College Day and Carthage is celebrating with a cake, balloons and a first-gen photo op station.

Anna Thompson, student success advisor at Carthage College, says that today is meant to celebrate the students’ achievements and make them feel welcomed on campus. Thompson advises the First in the Family program at Carthage that hosts a pre-orientation for incoming first-gen freshman. The program is designed to make the first generation students acquainted with campus, staff and fellow students before regular student orientation.

The First in the Family program also provides faculty mentors and student mentors, who were previously enrolled in the program, to make experiences more relatable to students. As of now there are 18 previously enrolled first generation student mentors that are helping their fellow students.

“I think all the mentors that they have here are the best mentors for us,” said Arianna Johnson, freshman at Carthage. “They are actually here to help us and push us to where we need to be.”

Johnson is also the first in her family to go to college and with four younger siblings she feels that she has to set the example and be their role model. Johnson says her family is the biggest motivation for her to graduate.

 “They inspire me, so I can inspire them to reach their goals,” said Johnson.

Carthage’s First in the Family program is in its third year, with enrollment in the program growing each year. With 60 students enrolled right now, Thompson hopes to continue the program to encourage and support more first generation students as they start their college experiences. ​