Belonging From Day One: The First-Generation Network

Turning experience into guidance

Nearly one in four Summit undergraduates is the first in their family to attend a four-year university. The First-Generation Network pairs incoming students with trained peers before move-in day and keeps those groups together through the first year.

Mentors cover practical topics that can otherwise feel invisible: office hours, research opportunities, financial planning, internships, and how to ask for support early.

“A mentor did not hand me a map. She taught me how to read the campus for myself.”

Support that follows the student

Monthly dinners bring faculty and alumni into candid conversations about career paths and setbacks. Small emergency grants help students handle unexpected expenses without stepping away from class or campus work.

The network also collaborates with academic advising and career services so students do not have to retell their story at every office.

A community that gives back

Many participants become mentors in their second year. Alumni return for mock interviews, industry panels, and one-on-one conversations about graduate school.

The result is more than a support program. It is an expanding community built on the belief that knowledge becomes more powerful when it is shared.