Green Bay Reporter

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is set to host the First-Gen Impact Awards Ceremony on Thursday, November 7, at 6 p.m. at the University Union. This event celebrates first-generation students, who make up over half of UW-Green Bay's undergraduate enrollment and are among the first in their families to attend college.

The ceremony coincides with National First-Generation Student Celebration Day and highlights UW-Green Bay as the first campus from the Universities of Wisconsin recognized as a First Gen Forward campus. The event is co-hosted by the First Gen Student Success Collaborative and the First Gen Phoenix student organization.

Four awards will be presented during the ceremony to faculty, staff, students, and programs that have positively impacted first-generation college students at UW-Green Bay. Attendees will hear from speakers including Gail Sims-Aubert, Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs; Sam Schueller, a first-gen student and peer mentor; and Lisa Lamson, a UW-Green Bay alumnus and assistant teaching professor in humanities and history.

First-generation students play a crucial role in supporting both the university's foundation for success and the regional economy. Over 70% of alumni live and work in northeast Wisconsin, highlighting these students' importance in filling workforce gaps.

For those interested in attending or arranging interviews with award recipients or speakers about how UW-Green Bay supports first-generation college students, RSVPs can be sent to Kristin Bouchard at bouchark@uwgb.edu.

UW-Green Bay serves 11,118 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students annually across four campuses in Northeast Wisconsin. Known for its innovative approach since its founding in 1965, it is currently recognized as Wisconsin’s fastest-growing university within the University of Wisconsin system.