First-generation spring graduates and students at Illinois State University will have a chance to celebrate their hard work, perseverance, and commitment at an upcoming celebration and recognition ceremony.
The inaugural End of Year Celebration & Recognition for First Generation Students & Graduating Seniors will be from 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in the Prairie Rooms of the Bone Student Center.
The event is free and open to the University community. Registration is required to participate in the ceremony. Registration can be found here for non-seniors and here for graduating seniors.
The celebration will highlight the accomplishments and successes of first-gen students and recognize seniors who are graduating. “First Gen Redbirds strive to build and maintain a community with first-gen students,” said Lamont Odufuye, president of the registered student organization First Gen Redbirds. “This celebration is an example of how we would like to honor those within our community.”
The keynote speaker for the event will be Brittany Perkins, an academic advisor at Illinois State and co-advisor of the First Gen Redbirds. Born and raised on the southside of Chicago, Perkins followed her love for literature to Illinois State, where she graduated in 2012 as a first-generation graduate with a degree in English. Before returning to Illinois State, Perkins worked at Heartland Community College with the Adult Education program, and as advisor for the Black Student Union. At Illinois State, Perkins serves as an academic advisor in University College, where she works specifically with students from the Noble Charter Schools of Chicago. She is pursuing a master’s degree in children’s literature at Illinois State.
Fellow First Gen Redbird advisor Tamekia Bailey expressed pride in seeing the student work to create a new event. “It is exciting to work with a group of students who are pioneers,” said Bailey. “At the beginning of the year, one of their goals was to host the first campus-wide celebration to recognize first-generation graduates, and they are doing it.”
“We wanted an event to help recognize the hard work and resilience of first-generation students,” said Vicky Aguirre, social media chair for First Gen Redbirds. “I want them to know that they matter and that we see them.”
