Celebrating First-Generation Students
In the words of TC faculty member and fellow first-gen student Dr. Carmen Martínez-Roldán, first-generation college students inspire us “to keep reimagining new ways to honor a diversity of voices and experiences.”
We are so pleased that TC is celebrating the impact and experience of our first-gen community and their deep commitment to learning.
Join Us For Our First Gen Week Celebration!
In honor of the many students within the Teachers College community whose hard work and resilience have led them to be the first in their families to attend college or graduate school, TC has planned a week-long celebration beginning Monday, November 7, 2022.
First Gen Mix and Mingle
Monday, November 7, 2022 at 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Location: ZB 109
Open to all self-identified first generation students, faculty, staff, and alumni the First Gen Mix and Mingle is a drop-by reception for Teachers College to come together and build community with other first gen members.
First Gen: Share Your Story
Tuesday, November 8, 2022 - All Day
Location: [Virtual] Instagram Stories (@tc_gradlife)
GSLD will be highlighting First Gen TC students on our Instagram page (@tc_gradlife) and throughout
First Gen Week at TC. Want to be featured? Connect with us at gsld@tc.columbia.edu or on Instagram!
Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are all invited to participate.
Demystifying the IRB
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Location: Grace Dodge Hall 279
Let’s demystify the Institutional Review Board process! The first hour will be a presentation that covers the importance of the IRB in research, protocol submission tips, and the criteria for IRB review and approval. The second hour will be an informal coffee hour chat about the IRB process.
This event is open for current TC students.
Cookies & Conversation @ GSLD
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 9:00 am to 5:00 pm | First Come, First Serve
Location: Building 528, Suite 155
Visit Graduate Student Life & Development's (GSLD) office and enjoy free cookies. Don't forget to pick-up your first gen swag at the front desk, while supplies last!
Headshots and Hors D’oeuvres
Thursday, November 10, 2022 at 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Building 528, Suite 157
Students & Alumni: Sign up in advance for this TC NEXT premier event: Headshots & Hors D’oeuvres. Snack with us, and get your free professional photo taken for LinkedIn, as well as an on-the-fly LinkedIn Review, and an answer for any of your other quick career-related questions. Time slots are limited!
TC Community Dinner
Friday, November 11, 2022 at 4:45 pm to 6:00 pm
Location: Grace Dodge Hall 179
This closing event during First Gen Celebration Week at TC is to bring people together, build community, and create a sense of belonging. Due to the intimate nature of the community dinner, this event is lottery based.
Student/Alumni Stories
Akemi Yonemura
Ed.D. ’06, M.Ed. ’01, International Educational Development
Raised by a single parent family, I could only attend a junior college. But I earned credits, transferred to four-year college, and worked to save money to go to two other graduate schools in the U.S. to earn ED.D. at TC.
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Delmy Lendof
Ed.D. ’13 Higher and Postsecondary Education
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Wayne Glass
Ed.M. Expected '24, Mental Health Counseling
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Christian Tanja
M.A. '16, International Educational Development
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Geórgia Freire
M.A., ’17, Higher and Post-Secondary Education
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Jacquada Gray II
M.A. ’19, Higher and Postsecondary Education
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Courtney Parent
M.A. ’22, Developmental Psychology
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Joey Uy
M.A. ’22, International Educational Development
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Gabriel Reyes
M.S. '21, Neuroscience & Education
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D.L. Moffitt
M.A. ’20, Education Policy
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Charmagne Jones
M.A. ’20, Applied Physiology
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Veronica M. Bohorquez
M.A. '19, International Educational Development
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Diana Cervantes Martinez
M.A., '19, Higher and Postsecondary Education
Support First-Generation Students
First-generation students are trailblazers who bring unique and diverse perspectives to our community and carry forward our legacy of equity and inclusion. Support them today with a gift to Teachers College.
Community Stories
As a first-generation student myself, I deeply appreciate and honor the challenges that each of our first generation students have confronted and overcome to reach a place of excellence and opportunity in their lives. They are role models for their families and their communities!
Faculty Stories
Noah Drezner
Professor of Higher Education
"22 years ago as my father drove me to college, I began to get nervous. Did i make the right decision? Was I going to be able to make it on my own?"
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Haeny Yoon
Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education
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Anna Neumann
Professor of Higher Education
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Amina Tawasil
Lecturer, Anthropology and Education
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Michelle Knight-Manuel
Professor of Education
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Carmen Martínez-Roldán
Associate Professor of Bilingual/Bicultural Education
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Chris Emdin
Associate Professor of Science Education
