This Tuesday, November 20th, first generation students took their first college visit of the year to Linfield in McMinnville.
Students are qualified as first-generation if neither of their parents or legal guardians got their Bachelor’s degree. Jesuit has a program to support all students from each grade, but specially only sophomores and juniors went on this visit.
Students started the day off in the Bill Hunt Boardroom for a pre-college visit information session.
“We started our day off learning about Linfield through doing a scavenger hunt on their website,” said junior Evelyn Botello-Gonzalez. “We learned things like how much tuition is, the different majors Linfield offers, and what programs they offer to support first-generation students.”
These college visits provide Jesuit students with an opportunity to explore different campuses and environments, helping them gain a clear understanding of what they want from their college experience.
“It’s really an opportunity for students to have exposure to different college options and start to explore what’s available at a school, whether it’s through programs, through scholarships, or there’s schools that also offer specific resources for first generation college students,” said Ms. Cruz, associate director of the DEI and one of the chaperones on the field trip.
Students got a tour of campus, including the residents hall, different class buildings, and student lounge areas. Students then participated in an informational meeting with one of the admission counselors, then the DEI director of Linfield.
“They talked about specifically what kind of supports are offered to first gen students. So, they mentioned that they provide scholarships to first gen students. They mentioned that they also provide mentorship for first gen students and assign a teacher or faculty mentor and student mentor” said Ms. Cruz.
Students felt like this visit helped them get an idea of what they want in college and what resources are available to them as a first generation student.
“Especially as a junior, it was good to find out what I like and don’t like and what I potentially want as a student in college,” said junior Damian Hernandez.