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# Faculty & Staff
#### Guiding and advocating for first-gen students.
A goal of the Newbury Center is to foster a sense of community among first-generation students, alumni, faculty, and staff. We are eager to hear from former first-generation students among BU faculty and staff who are interested in becoming mentors for current first-generation BU students. Please  if you would like to participate.
### Best Practices & Resources
Read More
### Faculty Spotlight
## Also in this section:
## Center News
[### Celebrating My Achievements as a First-Generation College Student
January 23rd, 2025
Malia Montalvo, a first-gen undergraduate student earning her BA in Advertising in the College of Communication, was recently featured in the following BU Today article. We love to see our first-gen students sharing their stories! Read the Article
Read more
[### 8th Annual First-Generation Graduate Student Symposium
January 16th, 2025
Join the Newbury Center and Co-Sponsors for the 8th Annual First-Generation Graduate Student Symposium When: February 7, 2025 Where: via Zoom Join the Boston University Newbury Center, Duke University First-Generation Graduate Student Network, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Carolina Grad Student F1RSTS, along with our Cooperating Sponsor, FirstGen Forward, for our […]
[### Brianna Bourne: Mentor Connections!
First-Gen Graduate Student Featured in Mentorship Spotlight Article Brianna Bourne, a first-gen graduate student earning her MA in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine in the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, was recently featured in the following Boston University Alumni & Friends article. We love to see our first-gen students taking advantage of mentorship […]
[### Newbury Center Welcome and Orientation – Spring 2025
January 10th, 2025
What is a first-generation undergrad student?  A student in the first generation of their family to go to college (i.e., a student whose parents/guardians/caregivers did not earn bachelor’s degrees, although elder siblings and cousins may be attending college already or have earned four-year degrees). What is a first-generation graduate/professional student?  A student whose parents/guardians/caregivers did […]
[### Newbury Center Grand Re-opening & 4th Birthday Celebration
January 8th, 2025
Join us for the Grand Re-Opening of the Newbury Center and our 4th Birthday Party! Festivities begin at 4pm with the creation of a community painting, DJ, games, dinner, and as always, awesome Newbury Center/Terrier F1RSTS swag. A brief formal program will take place at 4:30pm with remarks by President Gilliam with a drop-in dinner […]
[Undergraduate Student Spotlights
### Alexandria McKenzie: My Summer with the City of Boston’s Equity & Inclusion Cabinet
December 17th, 2024
Alexandria McKenzie (CAS ’26) was the 2024 City of Boston Equity & Inclusion Cabinet Summer Intern! McKenzie worked alongside the Racial Justice team in the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet of the City of Boston and learned from some of the most innovative, diverse, and inspiring leaders of our city today. Learn more here!
### Introducing the 2024–2025 Initiative on Cities Menino Fellow: Kathya Correa Almanza
Congratulations Kathya Correa Almanza (CAS’25) f0r being the 2024–2025 Boston University Initiative on Cities Menino Fellow in partnership with the National League of Cities (NLC)! Almanza will conduct a directed study under the supervision of IOC Director Loretta Lees, evaluating the Boston Public School system and its policies related to segregation and inequality in achievement. Learn more […]
### Amie Thomas: My Summer with the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics
Amie Thomas (GRS’24) was the 2024 Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics Summer Fellow! Through the Initiative on Cities fellowship with the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, Thomas collaborated with other fellows over the course of eight weeks to investigate how companies engage with their consumers and how various city departments communicate their […]
## Upcoming Events
### Welcome & Orientation for First-Generation Students
Day:
Monday
Jan
27th
Time:
5:30pm - 7:00pm
STH B24 "Community Room" 755 Commonwealth Avenue
### Terrier F1RSTS Tuesday
Tuesday
28th
12:30pm - 2:00pm
This event will take place on the Boston University Med Campus. Exact location TBD! More details to come.
### Virtual Welcome & Orientation for First-Generation Students
Wednesday
29th
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Zoom
### First-Gen Fuel-Up Friday & First-Gen Coaching
Friday
31st
9:00am - 11:00am
Newbury Center, Suite B04, 755 Commonwealth Avenue
### First-Gen Friday for Grad & Professional Students
5:00pm - 6:00pm
### Elevate Makerspace 2.0
Feb
3rd
5:00pm - 7:00pm
STH B04, 755 Commonwealth Avenue
### Summer Opportunities Fair
4th
5:00pm - 6:30pm
### Pre-Health Pop Up Advising
5th
2:00pm - 4:00pm
## More about Newbury Center
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**Boston University** Community & Inclusion
755 Commonwealth Ave, Suite B04
© Boston University. All rights reserved. www.bu.edu
# Best Practices & Resources
* , the premier source of evidence-based practices, professional development, and knowledge creation for the higher education community to advance the success of first-generation students
* , article from Brightspot
* , from the BU Center for Teaching & Learning
* , a nonprofit that provides students who lack a family history of higher education with inspiration, information, and support on the road to and through college
* , from the BU Teaching Writing website
* , a downloadable guide from the BU Mentoring Training Program
* , over 1,200 curated resources to enable first-generation, low-income success
* , article from *Inside Higher Ed*
* , inclusive teaching guides & tips
* , resources designed to help institutions engage instructors in revising their syllabi and other messages that students receive on the first day of class.
## Related to Best Practices & Resources
### 
# Faculty & Staff Spotlight
**Example**
## Faculty & Staff Spotlight Form
Name
First
Last
Position BU Email
Note: Your email will not be published. We ask for contact information in case we have any questions.Alma Mater What is a piece of advice that you would like to share with BU first-gen students?Please upload a photo of yourself(Required)Max. file size: 100 MB.
###
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#### Malika Jeffries-EL Survived Grad School through Grit and Networking
***“As a first-gen student, often you don’t know what you don’t know.” -Malika Jeffries-EL***
My father urged us all to go to college, but he was very honest. He said, “There’s no money in this house for college.” I am the 10th of 14 children. My mother had three children and my father had children from two previous marriages. By the time I was going to college, I had seven siblings who were college age. So it was like, you’d better either be smart enough or play basketball well enough for someone to give you a scholarship.
**Malika Jeffries-EL,** **College of Arts & Sciences Associate Professor of Chemistry and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Associate Dean**
#### Conversations With Experts – Jay Halfond interviews Jerry Whitmore
A clinical assistant professor of higher education administration at BU’s Wheelock College of Education & Human Development, ****, is also a first-generation college student. In conversation with Dr. Jay Halfond, professor of the practice emeritus at BU’s Metropolitan College, Dr. Whitmore shares his experiences and his belief in the importance of mentorship.
## Related to Faculty & Staff Spotlight
### Faculty & Staff Newsletter Archive
# Faculty & Staff Newsletter Archive
##### Check out past issues of our Faculty & Staff Newsletters.
## Related to Faculty & Staff Newsletter Archive
### Terrier F1RSTS Advocates Training
#### Become a Terrier F1RSTS Advocate!
# Terrier F1RSTS Advocates Training
**More than 19 percent of BU undergraduates are first-generation students**, and many of our graduate and professional students are trailblazers in their families as well. Our Terrier F1RSTS Advocate program trains faculty and staff to better connect with and support this important student population.
This hybrid training program involves an overview of the first-generation college landscape nationally and at Boston University.  You will learn who our first-gen students are, what they need, and how to support them at BU.
This is a 3-part training program that combines asynchronous and synchronous learning. The first two asynchronous modules focus on first-generation undergraduate students and first-generation graduate and professional students.  These modules cover common challenges of first-gen students (such as the financial constraints they often face and their limited knowledge of the “unwritten rules” of college life), the many strengths these students bring to BU, and best practices for supporting them through their educational journey.  The third module is a synchronous panel with students, facilitated by the Newbury Center team.
**!**
After completing the training program, you will be part of the TERRIER F1RSTS Advocates Network, which serves as a support resource for all first-generation students in the BU community.
We offer training sessions on a regular basis. Our goal is for *all* BU faculty and staff to complete this program and become official Terrier F1RSTS Advocates.
### Online Terrier F1RSTS Advocate Training Details
To start your journey to becoming a Terrier F1RSTS advocate, please access the Terrier eDevelopment platform (link below) and register for the modules and the panel with students.  **\*\*Please note that you MUST REGISTER for:  the Curriculum in addition to the 3 individual modules.\*\***
Upon completion of the three modules, you will receive an online form to complete so that we can add your name to our Newbury Center Terrier F1RSTS Advocates online directory, a key resource for first-generation students to seek guidance and advice.  You will also receive a Terrier F1RSTS Advocate placard for your office door and a button to wear proudly around campus!
### Upcoming Module III Dates:
Spring 2025
Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 10-11 am
Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 2-3 pm
Monday, March 3, 2025, 3-4 pm
Thursday, April 10, 2025, 1-2 pm
Summer 2025
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 11 am – 12 pm
Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 1-2 pm
Wednesday, July 23, 2025, 10-11 am
Thursday, August 14, 2025, 2-3 pm
We are happy to announce the launch of the Newbury Center’s Terrier F1RSTS Advocate Directory! Through the directory, Terrier F1RSTS are able to connect with Terrier F1RSTS Advocates, who can provide assistance and can act as a guide for their journey at BU.
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## Related to Terrier F1RSTS Advocates Training