MAYS LANDING — Talk to an Atlantic Cape Community College First-Generation student today and you will find many similar qualities among them. They are determined to learn. Grateful for the opportunity. Seeking to reach a goal that their parents were unable, or not afforded the chance, to. Striving to become role models for their children, siblings, family and friends. And, most importantly, to reach their full potential in life.
Laysha Robles, Jalana Peters, Clive Morgan and Jayed Hasan are four such First-Generation students who were celebrated, along with many others, at the Fourth Annual First-Generation College Celebration hosted by Student Support Services (SSS), in collaboration with the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Center for Student Success (CSS), in the Student Center on the Mays Landing campus on November 6.
This annual event is held in conjunction with National First-Generation Day, which is celebrated each year on November 8 to commemorate the passage of The Higher Education Act of 1965. The Act authorized federal aid programs to support both individuals pursuing a postsecondary education and institutions of higher education.
“Today’s First-Generation College Celebration gives our First-Generation students, faculty and staff the opportunity to come together to celebrate and recognize one another, and to engage in the campus environment where they're able to enjoy one another's company,” said Rashawn Martin, director, Student Support Services. “I'm a First-Generation student myself and this event fosters a sense of belonging. It allows our students to not only identify themselves, but identify others that are just like them when you know there are others around just like you.”
Robles, a sophomore Psychology major who is originally from Granada, Nicaragua and now currently lives in Atlantic City, is focusing her education on future generations.
“Being a First-Gen student is super important to me because I want to have children one day and I want to be able to tell my kids that education is the way to go in life. It might not make you a millionaire and it might not make you the most famous person in the world, but it will give you the capacity and the foundation to actually become someone, you know, educated and also balanced as a human being,” said Robles, who is hoping to transfer to Rutgers University after graduating from Atlantic Cape.
Peters, herself, is also motivated by the younger generation.
“For me, being a First-Gen student is important because I have a daughter and I want for her to do good academically, and if I am modeling that she will follow in my footsteps by graduating, doing the right things and everything like that,” said Peters, who would like to find an internship in the field of Psychology after graduating from Atlantic Cape.
The fun atmosphere of the day featured students signing multiple “Proud to be First-Gen” banners with their names and encouraging statements; engaging in stirring karaoke renditions of current and classic tunes; devising creative ideas for colorfully-spray-painted t-shirt designs; playing fun games of challenge like cornhole, ping-pong and foosball; plus, enjoying tasty sliders, French fries and free refreshments.
Student Government Association President Clive Morgan, who is a native of Jamaica, is proud of all First-Gen students, including himself, and the work they are doing to give themselves a chance to succeed in life.
“It really does mean a lot to be First-Gen because my mom and I were talking yesterday, and she said she was proud of me because she never finished school, but I did and I am still going at it. I do feel proud being among these students right now and celebrating this moment,” said Morgan, who earned an Associate Degree in Business Administration in 2024 and returned to Atlantic Cape in the fall to start working towards an Associate Degree in Hospitality. “With resilience and perseverance, it does take a lot to do all of this, but if you believe in yourself, you can do it. Because of that, I'm here today still succeeding at a second degree and still going to pursue more after this.”
Morgan was motivated to seek a second associate degree to fully grasp a culture in America that was completely new to him.
“One of the major reasons for me coming back to Atlantic Cape was that I felt like during my first year I was grasping the whole understanding of the culture in America and trying to be in the community. I felt like it flew by me so fast that I never got that chance,” said Morgan, who will be applying to Princeton, Rowan and Temple universities. “At my job when I started doing hospitality management, I was like, you know what? I'm going back. Professor [Jeanine] DiNardo has been one of my greatest mentors. She thought I should pursue my degree [in hospitality] and I said ‘you know what? I’m going to come back and do it.’ I also wanted to be more engaged and try to do more on campus with students.”
For freshman Business Administration major Jayed Hasan, a native of Bangladesh and First-Gen student now living in Egg Harbor Township, it meant starting all over academically after 21 years of schooling in his home country and culturally as well.
“Being a First-Gen student is very different for me because I am from a different country. All of my studies were done in Bangladesh and when I first came here it was totally different. There was always a communication barrier and my parents didn't have an actual academic education. So, when I first came here, I had no idea what to do,” admitted Hasan, who is a Club Coordinator with the Student Government Association. “I figured out I needed to do something in my life and then I found out about Atlantic Cape. I was amazed because people here are very welcoming and as well as all the professors. I was very worried about how I was going to do in my studies because everything is different.”
Hasan is grateful for the opportunities that Atlantic Cape has given him.
“Atlantic Cape has given me this opportunity to explore myself, to reflect myself, and to believe in myself that I am not only First-Gen, that I am more than that. I am more than just a regular student. Atlantic Cape helped me discover myself,” said Hasan, who would like to attend either Rutgers, Princeton or the University of Pennsylvania to earn a law degree after he graduates from Atlantic Cape.
Visit atlanticcape.edu/sss for more information on services provided by our Student Support Services department from counseling & mentorship, academic advising & transfer planning and cultural activities to academic tutoring, workshops, seminars and more.
About Atlantic Cape Community College
Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States accredited, 2022 Achieving the Dream Leader College and Hispanic Serving Institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers 47 undergraduate degree programs, and 34 certificate and professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and for more than 50 years, our highly-acclaimed Nursing program. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.
