We’re proud to announce that Clark University is now a member of FirstGen Forward, an organization that partners with higher education institutions to help first-generation college students thrive. 🎓

The network empowers institutions to transform the first-gen student experience, strengthen academic and co-curricular outcomes, and build more inclusive institutional structures.

Roughly 20 percent of Clark students are first-generation, which means their parents or guardians did not complete a bachelor’s degree.

“Each year, more and more first-generation students are attending college. There are many barriers, whether financial, familial, or personal, such as feelings of guilt associated with leaving home,” says Naomi Ashley, assistant director of programming and first-generation student support in @clarkisea. “FirstGen Forward will help Clark actualize DEI initiatives and goals holistically.”

🔗 See link in bio to learn more.
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📸 Members of the 2022 Advancing Clark Excellence (ACE) Summer Institute pose for a photo at Orientation. ACE is a free, four-year support program that centers the experiences of students who identify as first-generation or students of color.