Utah State University Celebrates National First-Generation Student Week

LOGAN — Universities across the nation celebrate their first-generation students through the first week of November. At Utah State University, celebrations take shape in different forms across all campuses.

A few to note: Blanding campus has a week of festivities that culminates in a banquet, Brigham features a “First-Gen Fill Up” where their students can relax over pop. Uintah features their campus first-gen faculty and staff with a celebratory luncheon.

Celebrating trailblazing first-generation student Aggies — known as Aggie First Scholars is a commitment to opening pathways and changing futures.

Aggie First Scholars, part of The Center for Academic Belonging and Learning Excellence, is a student success program dedicated to supporting the persistence and achievement of first-generation college students at Utah State University.

Aggie First Scholars was founded by Executive Director Heidi Kesler and Felipe Casteñeda, an ambitious first-generation student who wanted to create a community where others like him could thrive. As the program’s first student coordinator, Casteñeda began with only a handful of students.

Since then, the program has continued to grow and expand, serving first-generation students at USU’s Logan campus and across statewide campuses. Today, Aggie First Scholars continues to embody Casteñeda and Kesler’s vision within the Center for Academic Belonging and Learning Excellence.

On the Logan campus, Interim President Al Smith shared impactful words at this year’s 9th annual Logan campus I Am First Banquet. This year, to conclude first-generation student week, the Center for Academic Belonging & Learning Excellence will unveil its new space in the Merrill-Cazier library’s second floor. The Center welcomes Aggies to join for light refreshments from 2-4 p.m. Nov. 7.