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The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) recently published an highlighting the University of North Georgia's (Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û) Gen 1 mentoring program. The program connects first-generation faculty and staff to first-generation college students for mentoring relationships.

The article highlighted the program's aims of affordability and eliminating completion gaps while strengthening post-college outcomes. It also featured statements from members like Macayla Riddle, a spring 2023 graduate and a member of Cohort 1 of the Gen 1 mentoring program.

"Participating in the Gen 1 mentoring program has meant everything to me. My mentor has always been a support system for when I need an ear, a sounding board for bouncing solutions and ideas off of, and she had always had my back, even when I made mistakes," Riddle, a Gainesville, Georgia, native who graduated with an associate degree in general studies, said. "She held me to my goals and helped me create plans to get there, even when that meant trashing the plan and starting from scratch."

The article also highlighted the retention rate of students who remained in the program with the most recent cohort having a 77% retention rate and averaging a 3.29 GPA.

The assistance that a Gen 1 mentor helps to provide includes individual coaching and encouragement, which helps mentees navigate the obstacles and the opportunities on their journey inside and outside of the classroom.

"Many students experience a moment where they question if they are really capable of being successful in college, but for first-generation students, these feelings coupled with competing responsibilities can really take hold and impede their progress. Our Gen 1 mentoring program provides students with someone who understands those feelings but knows that they can be successful," Gen 1 coordinator Dr. Alyson Paul, interim vice president for Student Affairs, said.

For more on the program, to sign up to be a mentor or sign up to be a mentee, visit the Õý°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û Gen 1 mentoring program webpage.