Each year on November 8, the Chaiken Center hosts the college’s First-Generation Student Celebration as part of the national celebration by the same name. But our first-generation activities aren’t limited to one day a year. The Chaiken Center hosts workshops, brings in first-generation alumni speakers, and organizes meet and greets for first-generation Liberal Arts students throughout the year.
Roughly 25 percent of Penn State’s undergraduate student population are the first in their families to graduate from college. Within the College of the Liberal Arts, the Chaiken Center works to provide support and resources for first-generation students.
First-Generation Committee
In the fall of 2022, the Chaiken Center for Student Success formed a First-Gen Committee of students, faculty, and staff to provide greater support and community to the first-gen population in the College of the Liberal Arts. Thirty-two members are currently involved in the committee.
Our Mission
To engage and support Liberal Arts first-gen students by identifying their needs and informing our student success efforts. We are also building a sense of community and belonging around the identity of first-generation college students.
Interested in learning more or joining the committee? Email Patty Klug, director of the Chaiken Center, at pfk5256@psu.edu.
