BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University welcomes students of all educational backgrounds and journeys into the Titan family, including those who are first-generation college students, who make up more than half of undergraduate students in the United States.
A student is considered first-gen if their parents or legal guardian did not complete a four-year degree. A student is still considered first-gen if their parent or guardian completed some college or if they have an older sibling attending college or who has already graduated; both siblings are considered first-gen.
“We have what we call the F1RST Fund and we can give $1,000 to a first-gen student who is trying to complete an internship or do undergraduate research,” explained Deborah Halperin, Director of the Center for Engaged Learning. “It’s a little help in accessing what we call high-impact practices here. You could graduate without doing any of those things, but we want first gens to have equal access to doing those things, and sometimes money gets in the way of that.”
The F1RST Fund was established in the fall of 2023 by private donors to support the personal and professional growth of first-generation students at IWU. Money from the fund is given every spring, summer and fall to help students with their educational aspirations.
First-Gen Experiences at IWU
Cristina Chagolla ‘27 is a political science major from Chicago. As part of her major, she had to complete an unpaid internship that required 160 hours of service. She noticed a professor posted a flyer about the F1RST Fund and applied that same weekend.
Chagolla said the fund made it possible for her to complete her internship successfully. She almost didn’t apply because she thought she wouldn’t be selected, so she encourages other students to seek support that can strengthen their education.
To her, being a first-gen student is a rewarding experience, but it can come with various challenges.
“I remember feeling as a freshman like I was walking into a whole new world that I did not know how to navigate. That is how I learned that being a first-gen student meant being my own biggest advocate,” she said. “It has also pushed me to be more ambitious about my career aspirations. As a first-gen student, you are constantly breaking barriers, and you should give yourself a great deal of credit and take pride in that.”
Sydney Gragert ‘27 said she didn’t realize she was a first-gen student until she came to Illinois Wesleyan and learned about the program.
As a biology major with a minor in environmental studies, she knew she wanted to complete an internship in a related field because she felt it was important to apply what she was learning in the classroom to real-world experiences.
Gragert completed an internship at the Epiphany Farms Estate in Downs, where she learned about eco-friendly farming practices and how they provide produce and give back to the community. She said the fund helped her enjoy her internship to the fullest extent, as the money helped her out with additional expenses, since there are so many other things students have to worry about.
Gragert said she would tell other first-gen students that the F1RST Fund is a hidden gem on campus and that there are many different clubs and activity boards to join.
“To learn from faculty that have been first-gen and all the activities they do to support students who are first-gen is really fostering an environment that you can do anything you set your mind to and accomplish great things, so I think they really uplift the first-gen community in that sense,” Gragert said.
She is proud to be a first-gen student and has parents who support her educational journey, but she really appreciates having a support system at IWU for people who are first-gen and don’t really have the family background to have the knowledge of the techniques you need in order to succeed in college.
For senior Kaysha Molizone, the F1RST Fund began in her early days on campus. She attended different first-gen-focused events put on by the IWU F1RST Registered Student Organization, and one event was about study abroad opportunities where she learned about a program at American University in Washington D.C.
“It was the best decision of my life. When I went, I fell in love with D.C. It was the first place I’ve been that felt like it was the place I have to be — the atmosphere of the city, the architecture, the history, and I was the only Wesleyan student who went that fall,” Molizone said, who is considering going back to the District of Columbia for graduate studies.
Her time at American University led to an additional opportunity through the F1RST Fund to go to the Dominican Republic for a May term travel course, which was related to her public health major.
Molizone said it really meant a lot to her when she received an email from Halperin saying they wanted to give her additional assistance to go to the Dominican Republic.
“I guess I was doing so well with D.C. and they really believed in me and wanted to support me in this opportunity,” she said. “My whole reason for doing the Washington semester was because I never really thought I could go study abroad in college. I just thought the next best thing would be the semester away and then I had the opportunity to do both, which was like ‘woah’.”
To Molizone, being a first-gen student is about paving the way for students behind you, and she wants her siblings to know it’s hard and a lot of work, but they can do it, too. She also encourages other students on campus to apply for the fund.
Senior and Student Senate President Brady Poisal completed a summer internship at the state’s attorney’s office in Bloomington because of the F1RST Fund. He wasn’t sure how he would realistically drive from Peoria for an unpaid internship, and the fund helped offset costs for him and opened a lot of doors.
Poisal believes Illinois Wesleyan has done a good job over the last few years establishing a first-gen program, and feels even the little things like first-gen themed stickers or signs make a big difference.
Poisal also has a twin brother who went into the trades, but knows he wouldn’t have afforded to go to Illinois Wesleyan if they both went to college at the same time.
“So programs like the first-gen fund, those things are great benefits to take advantage of because they’re here, not to save you financially, but to help make sure that you have access and opportunities for you to get the full Wesleyan experience that so many people on our campus are trying to fight for you to have every day,” he explained.
While Poisal holds a lot of leadership positions on campus, he said no one gave him a manual on how to be a leader, and similar to being a first-gen student, he said sometimes you just have to learn by doing.
F1RST Fund
First-gen students make up a good portion of Illinois Wesleyan’s student body. When the classes of 2029 and 2030 first stepped on campus, 30% of those students were first-gen, an increase from 2027 and 2028, according to Halperin.
“We value our First-Gen students and want them to stay and succeed. So, part of our challenge with bringing more first-gens here is creating the support structures to keep them here,” Halperin said. “There’s an overlap with first-gen students, with students of color, with low-income students, with high financial aid students. First-gen students are not the only ones who struggle financially, but it is often a top reason they leave an institution. The F1RST Fund is one way we can provide support to our First-gens.”
Halperin said if first-generation students struggle to remain enrolled in college, that retention dip is usually between their freshman and sophomore years, which is why Illinois Wesleyan has focused on creating a community for first-gen students and creating opportunities like the F1RST Fund.
First-gen students who are interested in applying for the F1RST Fund can apply for the spring 2027 semester now through midnight on Nov. 30 Decisions will be made by Dec. 4.
To apply, visit iwu.edu/first-generation/first-fund.html.
Students such as Poisal, Molizone, Gragert, Chagolla, and more will be celebrated during First-Gen Student Week, which is recognized Nov. 2-6 ahead of Family Weekend.
Check out the remaining events planned this week:
Nov. 4
- Henna; 6-7 p.m., Vinyard Room; self-care event with Awareness, Wellness and Education (AWE) registered student organization
Nov. 5
- Info Session: Career Immersion Excursion 2027 - Zoom session; IWU F1RST will pay for two first-gen students to participate in CIE
Nov. 6
- First-Gen Family Celebration; 5-7 p.m., Vinyard Room