Undergraduate Student Spotlight

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Recent News

Introducing the 2024–2025 Initiative on Cities Menino Fellow: Kathya Correa Almanza

December 17th, 2024

Congratulations Kathya Correa Almanza (CAS’25) f0r being the 2024–2025 Boston University Initiative on Cities Menino Fellow in partnership with the National League of Cities (NLC)! Almanza will conduct a directed study under the supervision of IOC Director Loretta Lees, evaluating the Boston Public School system and its policies related to segregation and inequality in achievement. Learn more here!

Amie Thomas: My Summer with the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics

December 17th, 2024

 

Amie Thomas (GRS’24) was the 2024 Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics Summer Fellow! Through the Initiative on Cities fellowship with the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, Thomas collaborated with other fellows over the course of eight weeks to investigate how companies engage with their consumers and how various city departments communicate their activities to the community. Learn more here!

Mentoring: Launching first-generation success

January 22nd, 2024

Mimi and David’s mentoring relationship started in early 2023, and one year later, their relationship is stronger than ever! Through the College of Engineering alumni and student mentorship program, these two Terriers found within each other the people they didn’t know were missing in their lives. Mimi found a professional and established engineer to look up to, and David found a young and ambitious student to help and guide.

Miriam “Mimi” Bounar (ENG’24), a first-generation student and first-generation immigrant who studies Biomedical Engineering, joined the ENG Mentors program on BU Connects on a whim, looking for an opportunity to forge a real and significant relationship with an engineer. As the first in her family to go to college as well as the first to pursue engineering, Mimi often felt she lacked a figure to look up to and go to for guidance when it came to her professional aspirations. Mimi was hoping to find “someone who knows how to respond, how to act, what type of opportunities to look for, and then go on from there.” Read more here.

 

Newbury Center Welcome and Orientation – Spring 2024

January 9th, 2024

What is a first-generation undergrad student? 

A student in the first generation of their family to go to college (i.e., a student whose parents/guardians/caregivers did not earn bachelor’s degrees, although elder siblings and cousins may be attending college already or have earned four-year degrees).

What is a first-generation graduate/professional student? 

A student whose parents/guardians/caregivers did not earn a master's, doctorate, or a professional degree such as a JD or MD.

Here at the Newbury Center, we provide welcome and orientations for new first-gen students to give them a warm welcome to BU. Don't miss an opportunity to meet and find your first-gen community here at BU!

Held at the beginning of this spring semester, these events introduce students to the resources of the Newbury Center, teach them some ins and outs of being a first-gen student at BU, and help them begin building community. We'll be hosting an orientation for undergraduate, graduate and professional students on the Charles River Campus. We also will be hosting a Zoom session for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who want to attend virtually. Come and join our Terrier F1RSTS community!

Registration details below!

UNDERGRADUATE. GRADUATE, AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS

  • In Person Orientation - Charles River Campus
    • Monday, January 22, 5:30 PM - 7:00PM - STH B24 ("Community Room") 745 Commonwealth Ave
      Dinner will be provided, receive a free Terrier F1RSTS t-shirt, and win some Newbury Center swag!
    • REGISTER HERE 
  • Virtual Orientation - on Zoom 

    Celebrate the Success of First-gen Students on Veterans Day

    November 9th, 2023

    It's BU's First-gen College Celebration Week and Veterans Day--here we celebrate two of our Terrier F1RSTS who are also veterans.  We thank ALL of our military-affiliated students, whether they are veterans, active duty, ROTC, or in the Reserves!

    Name: Valery Franco

    Hometown: Springfield, MA

    Undergrad Institution: Boston University

    Current Degree Program: Bachelor of Arts in International Relations

    Branch and a Brief Overview of your Military Career so far: Massachusetts Air National Guard (Air Force Component)

    I first joined the Air Force Reserves in 2020 as an Operations Manager. I later transitioned to the medical unit in the MA Air National Guard as a Health Services Manager. In this role, I serve as a medical administration specialist and have been privileged to do the following:

    • Travel to an Army hospital in Hawaii to work alongside active-duty personnel and learn about their work.
    • Learn combat lifesaving skills and become a trainer for other service members
    • Aid in base-wide medical readiness through administrative and technical support, ensuring all service members on the base are deployment-ready

    During my most recent drill weekend, I was also awarded Airman of the Year for the Medical Group. Moreover, I will soon serve in a full-time capacity, managing the base medical readiness and unit training programs.

    What does it mean to you to be a first-gen military-affiliated student at BU? 

    I’m first-gen in multiple capacities because I am a first-gen college student and a first-gen military member. These can be difficult environments to navigate, but it makes me all the more proud to say I was able to accomplish both.

     

     

    Name: Crystal Denise Vejar

    Hometown: Logan Utah

    Undergrad Institution: Russell Sage College, Albany NY

    Current Degree Program: Master of Science in Medical Sciences 

    Branch and a Brief Overview of your Military Career so far: I’m currently a Sergeant in the Army Reserve. I came off of active duty this August after finishing up my deployment to Somalia. I am a 68D (operating room specialist) and have been a surgical tech since joining the military in 2018. I have worked at Walter Reed Military Medical Center, civilian hospitals in New York and Massachusetts, a Field Hospital, and for my deployment a Forward Resuscitative Surgical Team.

    What does it mean to you to be a first-gen military-affiliated student at BU?

    Growing up as a first-generation student I was constantly facing new challenges that I felt I needed to master independently, not just for me but for my younger siblings as well. I had a strong support system at home but when I moved from Utah to New York for college everything was new to all of us and the military played a pivotal role in shaping my path to success.

    The military not only provided me with stability and discipline that helped academically, but also instilled in me a strong sense of community and teamwork that helped shape my experience in higher education. The camaraderie and support network within the military community bolstered my confidence, it helped me remember I wasn't on my journey on my own, and that I had many resources I could rely on.

    Overall, the Army helped strengthen my belief in the power of community and lead to my goal of continuously building community around me and empowering others whenever possible. BU as an institution has also made community a priority so being here, specifically in MAMS, means I'm one step closer to achieving the goals I've dreamed of achieving, and am becoming better equipped to continue supporting the many communities I hold close to my heart.

    Newbury Center Welcome and Orientation – Fall 2023

    May 31st, 2023

    What is a first-generation undergrad student? 

    A student in the first generation of their family to go to college (i.e., a student whose parents/guardians/caregivers did not earn bachelor’s degrees, although elder siblings and cousins may be attending college already or have earned four-year degrees).

    What is a first-generation graduate/professional student? 

    A student whose parents/guardians/caregivers did not earn a master's, doctorate, or a professional degree such as a JD or MD.

    Here at the Newbury Center, we provide welcome and orientations for new first-gen students to give you a warm welcome to BU. Held at the beginning of each semester, these events introduce students to the resources of the Newbury Center, share some "ins and outs" of being a first-gen student at BU, and start building your community.

    For the fall semester, we will offer separate orientations for new first generation undergraduate and graduate students, both in-person and on Zoom--please attend whichever one works best for your schedule.

     Registration details below!

    UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

    • In Person Orientation- STH B24 ("Community Room")
    • Virtual Orientation- on Zoom 

    GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS

    • In Person Orientations
      • Monday, September 11, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM - Charles River Campus, STH B24 ("Community Room")
        Dinner will be provided, receive a free Terrier F1RSTS t-shirt, and win some Newbury Center swag!
        REGISTER HERE by Wednesday, September 6th 
      • Tuesday, September 19, 5:00PM - 7:00 PM- BU Medical Campus, Hiebert Lounge INS 1407
        Dinner will be provided, receive a free Terrier F1RSTS t-shirt, and win some Newbury Center swag!
        REGISTER HERE by Thursday, September 14th 
    • Virtual Orientation- on Zoom

      Resources for the Class of 2028

      May 31st, 2023

      What is a first-generation student? A student in the first generation of their family to go to college (i.e., a student whose parents/guardians/caregivers did not earn bachelor’s degrees, although elder siblings and cousins may be attending college already or have earned four-year degrees).

      Welcome Terriers! We're excited that you've chosen Boston University to embark on your collegiate journey for the next four years.

      We are the Newbury Center, Boston University's first center devoted to supporting and celebrating first-generation college students (Terrier F1RSTS).  Our current center is undergoing renovations and expansion so in the meantime, until we return to our space later this fall, we are in a temporary space at 111 Cummington Mall Suite B27 (basement level).   We are a highly visible, transformative unit of the University, offering programming and services designed to ensure that first-generation students experience the same sense of well-being, belonging, self-efficacy, and academic accomplishment as their continuing-generation peers.

      Explore what the Newbury Center has to offer first-generation students:

      We're excited to support you throughout your journey at Boston University. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our associate director, MC Damm (mdamm@bu.edu), our assistant directors, Rosemary Ferreira (rferreir@bu.edu), Katherine Lawlor (klawlor2@bu.edu) or give us a call at (617) 353-3400.

      Make sure to follow and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

      Ally Li ALP ’22 Seizes Opportunities as a First-Gen College Student

      May 30th, 2023

                        “

      "It’s better to take aggressively these different opportunities, so you don’t regret not applying for them." - Ally Li, ALP ‘22, USA

      Ally Li, a Business Administration and Management student at Boston University, told her story as the daughter of Chinese immigrants and a first-in-family college student. She shared how her experiences have driven her to pursue valuable opportunities. Read More.