It’s one thing to acknowledge the challenges that first-generation students face in college. It’s another to act on them.
Middlesex College, where 42% of students are first-generation, will now be able to do that better than ever.
The school recently was named a member of the 2024–25 FirstGen Forward Network, a national initiative that supports first-generation student success in higher education. The College is one of 80 new member institutions.
Alexis Delgado, Middlesex College Assistant Dean for Student Success, and Lorna Joasil, Assistant Professor of Psychology in the History and Social Sciences Department, are co-chairs of the FirstGen Forward leadership team.
They said joining the network will have great impact.
“As a first-generation college graduate, I am aware of the various challenges that impact first-generation college students’ ability to succeed in college,” Delgado said. “As a member of FirstGen Forward, the College can access resources and work collaboratively with other institutional members as we work to build and improve support services for our first-generation college students at Middlesex College.”
Delgado and Joasil will act as campus liaisons with the FirstGen Network and manage efforts to engage with and support first-generation students at Middlesex College, with the goal of increasing retention and graduation rates. They will also participate in monthly workshops and professional development opportunities and share knowledge and resources with network peers through an online community.
Delgado and Joasil have begun exploring and identifying opportunities for the College to improve or develop innovative and strategic efforts to better support the success of first-generation students. To further support these efforts, they have formed a steering committee that includes faculty and staff from around the College.
Joasil says these support services are vital for students to excel in class and complete their degrees.
“As a first-generation college graduate, I understand the unique challenges of navigating higher education,” Joasil said. “My commitment is to ensure that first-generation students receive inescapable support from the college community—so thorough that they have no choice but to succeed in their academic journey.”
To encourage academic and personal excellence among first-generation college students, the College has focused on several mentorship efforts and partnered with organizations specifically dedicated to their success.
The College is a member of Alpha Alpha Alpha, a national honor society for first-generation students that offers programs focused on academic and career development and recognizes academic achievement. Several faculty and staff are members of Tri-Alpha and serve as mentors.
The College has also partnered with the America Needs You Fellows Program and FirstGenU, which provides career development, networking, and support for low-income, first-generation college students as they work toward graduation.
Financial support for first-generation students at Middlesex College includes the Educational Opportunity Fund, a grant-funded state program that provides comprehensive academic support to low-income students, where most participants identify as first-generation. Last October, the College was awarded a $3 million, five-year Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will broaden the array of services and staffing to support underrepresented student populations who are more likely to identify as first-generation.
“We are honored to be selected as a member of the FirstGen Forward Network,” Middlesex College President Mark McCormick said. “This recognition emphasizes the long-term commitment of Middlesex College to first-generation student success and highlights the wealth of services and support we offer to help students on their path to graduation.”
To learn more about first-generation efforts at Middlesex College, contact Alexis Delgado at amdelgado@middlesexcc.edu or Lorna Joasil at ljosail@middlesexcc.edu.
