First-Gen Students Earn 1 in 5 of All Undergrad Degrees, Certificates Awarded Spring 2025 at USU

According to new data, 1 in 5 students receiving an undergraduate degree or certificate from Utah State University this year are the first in their family to ever earn a degree.

Seventeen of USU’s 30 locations across Utah are awarding degrees and certificates to first-gen students this year. USU’s three residential campuses account for 70% of the 1,378 total first-gen students receiving undergraduate degrees and certificates.

• Logan: 681.
• USU Eastern: 148.
• USU Blanding: 138.

Each campus across the state offers unique experiences for all students. Each first-gen student brings a unique background and reasons for earning a degree from USU.

Makenna Roberts, a graduating senior on the Logan Campus and College of Science valedictorian, is earning her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and statistics with minors in political science and data science.

Roberts has worked as a data analysis and communications assistant for the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air, where she contributed to the 2024 Report to the Governor and Legislature. In spring 2024, she completed an internship with the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.

“Earning a degree at Utah State has completely changed my outlook on my future and rethink what I am capable of,” Roberts said.

Mabel Suarez will be graduating with her Associate Degree of Science from USU Eastern. She says her college experience has given her “incredibly rewarding opportunities.” She has served as both clubs and organizations representative and director of cultural engagement for the USU Student Association.

Suarez has also been a peer mentor with the A-Team, focusing on ensuring that incoming students find their way into college with the best experience possible.

“My time here at Eastern has allowed me to reach several major milestones in my life,” Suarez said. “As a first-generation student graduate, this is a major milestone both academically and emotionally, more than just walking across a stage. Many of us first-generation students are not just graduates; we are transforming family and a legacy.”

For USU Blanding student Sandra Benallie, being a first-gen student isn’t just about transforming family but also transforming her community and showing others what’s possible.

“Being a first-generation student, you can gain knowledge and experience while showing that it is possible for anyone,” Benallie said. “While being a first-generation student might be terrifying, it’s worth it. … If it wasn't for USU, I would be having a hard time pursuing my degrees and long-term goals."

Benallie, a USUSA representative, is receiving her Associate of General Studies, lives on the Navajo Reservation and plans to pursue a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Psychology so she can help people in the Navajo Nation and other Native communities.

USU’s official vision to empower all people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation and impact includes creating opportunities for first-gen students to succeed. One of the best examples of this is the Aggie First Scholars program.

“The program meets students where they are, allowing them to engage in ways that best suit their goals and needs,” said Division of Student Success Program Director Chloé López Ridenour. “Aggie First Scholars recognizes the vital role it plays as a bridge between students and the broader university experience. Through networking events, mentorship meals and a supportive community, students are propelled toward success and empowered to lead the way.”

Roberts says mentorship she received within the Aggie First Scholars program made the transition to college life much easier.

“I always knew I had a place to go to when I had a question that I might have been too embarrassed to ask otherwise,” Roberts said. “Over the last four years with this support, I have gained the confidence to not only finish my undergraduate career strong, but to continue my journey in higher education by starting a master’s program in the fall. None of this would have been possible without the help of the USU community, especially the Aggie First Scholars program.”