The Faces of First-Gen Students at UMass Lowell

By Dr. Matthew Hurwitz, Director of the River Hawk Scholars Academy at UMass Lowell

Here at UMass Lowell, where 4 out of every 10 of our undergraduate students would be the first in their family to complete a 4-year college degree, we are always thinking about what it takes to make sure we understand the fullness of these students’ experiences. We must do so, for if we want to ultimately support their educational journey all the way through to graduation, we need to account for their entire selves, their personal and social well-being, their growth as learners and as people. This is the guiding principle of the River Hawk Scholars Academy, the academic support program for first-year, first-generation college students that I have the honor of directing.

Scaling this approach is never easy, for it is often dependent on careful conversations, building trust with students, cross-departmental collaboration, and using technology