On November 8, we celebrate first-generation Riverbats past and present and recognize the achievements of first-generation students across the country. At Austin Community College District (ACC), we’re proud to celebrate those who are the first in their families to attend college and the determination, perspectives, and experiences they bring to our community.
Why November 8?
First Gen Day is celebrated annually on November 8 because it commemorates the signing of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The act established foundational federal financial aid programs and expanded access to higher education, including support for first-generation students.
In honor of First Gen Day, meet two of our ACC employees and discover what being a first-generation college student means to them!
Dr. LaKisha Barrett, ACC Faculty
In your experience teaching at ACC, what have you learned about the unique experiences, strengths, or challenges of first-generation college students?
“First-generation students bring tremendous cultural wealth, resourcefulness, resilience, and intellectual potential to our classrooms. They may also be navigating unfamiliar academic expectations, financial responsibilities, family obligations, and opportunities that aren’t always clearly explained…”
“Knowing how to navigate a system is not evidence that the system is functional, adequate, or supportive. While resilience and perseverance should be applauded, we should consistently and responsibly improve the system to reduce the need for that level of grit.”
“We are responsible for seeing, encouraging, and supporting our students’ potential while helping them develop the confidence and agency to pursue their goals; all students need this, especially first-gen.”
How do you help first-generation students feel they belong in college and can succeed?
“I believe students need to know that their experiences, perspectives, and contributions matter. In my classroom, I intentionally create opportunities for students to connect course concepts to their lived experiences and future professions, build foundational knowledge, practice new skills, and recognize their own growth.
“Belonging is not simply feeling welcomed into a classroom. It is recognizing that you have something meaningful to contribute, are connected to a purpose, and can influence the environment around you.”
“I want students to leave my classroom with more than a grade. I want them to recognize themselves as capable thinkers, lifelong learners, and future professionals…For me, that’s the beauty of moving from belonging to becoming.”
What is one thing you wish every ACC faculty member understood about first-generation students, and what is one thing we can do to better support their success?
“I wish every faculty member understood that being first-generation doesn’t measure academic ability, ambition, or potential. It describes an educational experience, not a limitation… One of the most meaningful things we can do is make the unwritten rules of higher education visible. Explain the why behind assignments, normalize seeking support, connect students with mentors and campus resources, and encourage them to ask informed questions and advocate for themselves.”
“Students should not have to earn their sense of belonging through academic achievement. Belonging should create the conditions for them to achieve, thrive, and be the change they want to see in the world.”
Alejandra Polcik, Manager of Student Success Programs
Through your work at ACC, what have you learned about the experiences and needs of first-generation college students?
“First-generation students bring so much to ACC. They bring culture, responsibility, resilience, adaptability, hope, and inspiration. They remind us of the power of education and the many dreams and possibilities that students bring with them when they walk through our doors.”
Can you share an example of how a staff member, campus resource, or support service helped a first-generation student navigate college or move closer to their goals?
“I remember a student who left ACC during the pandemic and returned several years later. I barely recognized him. He had grown from a teenager into a young man, but he came straight to me and asked how he could rejoin the program and finish what he had started six years earlier. When I asked why he had left, he told me that he simply wasn’t ready back then, but now he was. He went on to graduate from ACC, proudly wearing his stole, and transferred to another college to continue his education…
That experience reminded me how important it is to give students hope and help them understand that every journey is different.”
What can ACC employees do, regardless of their role, to make college easier to navigate and help first-generation students feel that they belong?
“Bring hope and love into everything you do, and let that show in your work every day, whether you’re interacting with students or colleagues. What we do is meaningful and beautiful. We have the privilege of helping people move closer to their dreams, and students need to see the joy we find in that work. Happiness is contagious, and when we approach our work with genuine care and enthusiasm, students can feel it. That sense of belonging can make all the difference.”