A UF group told first-generation students last week that they’re not alone.
UF’s First Generation Organization finished its First Generation Empowerment Week on Sunday. Michelle Silva, the FGO president, said the group brought back the week to teach others about first-generation students. While they’ve held events in the past, they haven’t held a full week in a few years.
For the end of the week, the group played dodgeball and basketball Saturday and fed the homeless Sunday.
Before this, they painted the 34th Street Wall and held a carnival day.
FGO also empowered younger students during the week, Silva, a 22-year-old family, youth and communications science senior said.
Members spoke to elementary students at Genesis Preparatory School in Gainesville, Silva said. They asked students what they wanted to be when they grow up and what they would do to get there.
They encouraged the children to pursue higher education in order to make their dreams a reality, Silva said.
Niko Pafundi, a UF biology freshman, said the week made him proud to be a first-generation student. He said it’s harder to motivate students whose parents didn’t attend college.
He said he was motivated because he wanted to have a better future than his parents.
“It’s not something you hear about all the time since your parents cannot afford it,” the 18-year-old said. “I want to not be in the position my mother was in — a struggling single parent.”
