The 2024-2025 First-Generation Student Group (First-Gen) officers have been elected, and President Maria Torres, Vice President Annette Machado, and Secretary Madison Shyer are getting the year off to a great start. In their new positions, they plan to build the group's social media presence, offer networking opportunities, and create a space where students can feel seen, heard, and supported at the Graduate School.

Shyer, a third-year student in the Neuroscience program, says that the need for community inspired her to take on a student officer role. For her, "community is one of the most important things in any educational endeavor," and she joined First-Gen to help foster that sense of connection, especially for students who are the first in their families to attend graduate school.

Machado, a PhD student in the Genetics and Epigenetics program, says the group has helped her both as a first-generation Mexican American and a first-generation graduate student. In her new role as an officer, she looks forward to connecting with fellow students. "I'm excited to bring like-minded individuals together to share our experiences," she says.

In her role as president, Torres, an MS student affiliated with the Immunology program, is excited to support new students. "As the new president of First-Generation, I want to raise a voice for all the new students who are coming in," she says.

As First-Gen's secretary, Shyer hopes to strengthen the group's social media presence. "By spreading the word regularly across multiple media channels, I hope to build a greater and more accessible first-generation community," she says. Machado seeks to emphasize more face-to-face networking, creating events that will help introverts, in particular, improve their skills.

For Shyer, creating a space for students to feel seen is important. She is most excited "about helping other students feel seen, heard, and supported," she says. That support is something students can take back to their labs and beyond, she says. Shyer herself has benefited from the assistance of First-Gen on issues like impostor syndrome and identifying career options, and she wants to provide that same space for new students.

Torres, Machado, and Shyer are committed to building a positive and inclusive space for new first-generation students. They look forward to making 2024-2025 a great year for the First-Generation Student Group.