Forty members of the Class of 2024 who are first-generation college students received special stoles during the May 22 ceremony held in McKinnon Hall.
When Gisselle Garcia-Jose ’24 crosses the stage in Schar Center on Friday to receive her Elon University diploma, she won’t be alone. A proud first-generation Mexican immigrant and college student, Garcia-Jose has brought with her to Elon her own dreams, as well as the aspirations of everyone in the village where she grew up. On Wednesday, she shared with her fellow first-generation college students in the Class of 2024 what that moment at Commencement will mean to her and many others.
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“To be the first in one’s family to cross this stage, to grasp that diploma, is not merely a personal achievement,” Garcia-Jose said. “It’s a communal triumph and a beacon of hope to those who follow. My journey at Elon University, enriched by its vibrant academic and social fabric, has imbued me with a profound understanding of this responsibility.”
Garcia-Jose was among 40 first-generation college students to gather in McKinnon Hall on Wednesday for a stole presentation ceremony organized by First-Generation Student Support Services, an initiative within Elon’s Center for Access and Success to celebrate their accomplishments. Each student selected someone who has played a meaningful role in their life to bestow upon them a special first-generation student stole to be worn during commencement.
“Stepping through the doors of a college on your own and navigating the process of applying takes ambition,” said Travella Free, executive director of the Center for Access and Success. “These trailblazers may not have family members who can help them navigate the college experience, but they have gained some co-navigators over time. First-generation students are hardworking, resilient, proactive, resourceful, and creative, among many characteristics and today we celebrate your success, hard work, and the sacrifices you and your support systems have made.”
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Along with a stole, each student received a keychain that has the longitude and latitude of Elon’s campus, provided by Elon Academy, the university’s college access and success program. “This keychain symbolizes that no matter where you go, you will always know how to get back to the place that played a role in who you are and are becoming,” Free said.
In her keynote address, Garcia-Jose explained that she has sought to give back during her time at Elon through her involvement in service organizations and in roles that support student development. An Odyssey Program scholar, she’s built powerful personal connections with people who have become mentors along the way and has confirmed her commitment to continuous learning. “These years have been a tapestry woven from countless interactions with inspiring mentors and peers, all of which have prepared me for the leap into what lies beyond the familiar confines of academia,” she said.
Following an introduction by Graduate Assistant Darynha Gnep, Barb Carlton offered words of reflection for the soon-to-be graduates. Carlton, associate director of facilities and event services at James Madison University, served until recently as assistant director of the Moseley Center at Elon.
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Carlton recounted her own journey as a first-generation college student, the doubts that she battled early in her college career, the challenges of navigating college and her sense of achievement and accomplishment when she not only earned her bachelor’s degree but later a master’s degree. She drew from many of the lessons from “The Wizard of Oz,” noting that she is originally from Kansas, and how she was able to lean on other people to help her through difficult times.
“The wizard told the scarecrow, a baby has brains, but it doesn’t know much. Experience is the only thing that brings you knowledge,” Carlton said. “So, my friends, I have some advice for you — Be brave like the lion, love like the tin man, experience like the scarecrow.”
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Carlton concluded with a line from the classic movie — “You’ve always had the power, my dear, You just had to learn it yourself.”
Wednesday’s ceremony included the presentation of the inaugural 1891 Awards that recognize the contributions of students, faculty and staff to support first-generation student success. The award draws its name from the year Elon awarded diplomas to members of its first graduating class. Receiving the inaugural award were:
- René Jackson, Associate Director of Career Services for Graduate School Programs and Director of PACE Program
- Amy Overman, Assistant Provost for Scholarship and Creative Activity and Professor of Psychology
- Delyla Makki ’24
- Darynha Gnep G’24, Graduate Apprentice in the Center for Access and Success
Kenneth Brown, assistant director of First-Generation Student Support Services, offered closing remarks, building upon a common refrain at Elon that “the world needs Elon University graduates” as he offered encouragement to these students as they prepare to leave Elon.
“I will draw it out and say the world needs Elon graduates that have come alive,” Brown said. “When we see each other at Homecoming, in the streets or years from now, I look forward to hearing the stories of you coming alive and where that has taken you.”