Resources
STUDENT RESOURCES
Villanova Networks
- First-Generation Villanovans - Nova Network Group
To join the group, sign in/up with Handshake, search "First-Generation Villanovans" in Groups, and join group.
First-Generation Organizations
- I’m First Initiative
- NASPA, National Association of Student Affairs Administrators
- Council for Opportunity in Education
- Collective Success Network
News Items
Listen to Drs. Krista Malott & Stacey Gaenzle Havlik, of the Department of Education & Counseling at Villanova, talk about their research with first generation college goers:
Featured on KYW NewsRadio (May 25, 2018):
First Gen college Students. Online text version and audio versions.
Featured on WHYY Public Radio, Morning Edition (August 30, 2018).
Villanova researchers help first-gen students trailblaze into freshman year.
Related Articles
Gaenzle Havlik, S., Malott, K. M., & Pulliam, N., & Steen, S. (2017). Strengths and struggles of first-generation college students persisting at one predominantly White institution. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 1-23.
Havlik, S., Pulliam, N., Malott, K. M., & Steen, S. (2017). Strengths and struggles of first-generation college students persisting at one predominantly White institution. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 0(0), 1-23.
Havlik, S., Malott, K. M., Diaz Davila, J., Stanislaus, D., & Stiglianese, S. (accepted). Small groups and first-generation college goers: An intervention with African American high school seniors. Invited for special 2020 issue in the Journal for Specialists in Groupwork.
Malott, K. M., Havlik, S., Steen, S., Gosai, S., & Diaz Davila, J. (accepted). College readiness and first-generation college goers: Group impacts with students from an urban, predominantly African-American population. Association for Counseling Children and Adolescents.
Recommended Reading*
First Generation College Students Need Strong Networks of Support - The Washington Post, May 17, 2016
Any Goal is Achievable With the Support of a Strong Community - Huffington Post, January 18, 2016
10 Strategies for Colleges to Retain and Graduate First-Generation Students - Huffington Post, January 5, 2016
Internship Experience and Networking Paramount for College Graduates - Huffington Post, December 28, 2015
Hungry, Homeless and in College - The New York Times, December 4, 2015
'Make Your Home Among Strangers' and the complexities of first-generation college life - Washington Post, October 2, 2015
How to help first-generation college students thrive in stressful situations - USC News, September 16, 2015
The Heartbreaking Physical Toll of High Achievement Among Disadvantaged Teens - Huffington Post, July 21, 2015
Feet on campus, heart at home: first generation college students struggle with divided identities - The Conversation, June 2, 2015
Let's Help First-Generation Students Succeed - Chronicle of Higher Education, May 18, 2015
The Challenge of the First-Generation Student - Chronicle of Higher Education, May 18, 2015
First-Generation Students Unite - New York Times, April 8, 2015
Colleges Share Strategies That Help Disadvantaged Students Succeed - Chronicle of Higher Education, April 24, 2015
Confusing Financial Aid Letters Leave Students, Parents Adrift - NPREd, May 7, 2015
First in the family: First-gen students navigate college obstacles, Brown Daily Herald, April 22, 2015
My Challenges as a First-Generation College Student, Huffington Post, April 20, 2015
First-generation student: 'Don't be afraid to ask for help', Springfield News-Leader, April 2, 2015
Fitting in on Campus: Challenges for First-Generation Students. NPR, February 16, 2015
First-Generation College-Goers: Unprepared and Behind, The Atlantic, December 31, 2014
Encouraging First-Generation College Students, USA Today, October 31, 2013
Colleges try to meet needs of first-generation students, The Boston Globe, September 30, 2015
*Courtesy of Northern Michigan University