USC students marked First-Generation Week with crafts, performances and career workshops organized by the First Generation Student Assembly and First Generation Plus Success Center.
About 21% of students in USC’s fall 2026 freshman class are first-generation students, according to the University facts and statistics page. With 3,766 students enrolled in the class, that represents roughly 790 students. The First Generation Plus Success Center defines first-generation students as those whose parents do not have four-year college degrees.
According to the USC First Gen Plus’ Instagram post, the week kicked off Monday, Nov. 2, with a First Gen Day tabling event at Hahn Plaza, where organizers handed out merchandise, cookies and offered photo opportunities. The celebration also featured a performance by the Trojan Marching Band.
Beyond the giveaways and performances, the week helped students such as Dayoon Kang, a freshman majoring in business from South Korea, recognize a community of peers navigating similar experiences.
“It kind of makes you feel seen, you know?” Kang said. “Like, there are a lot of people on campus who are in the same position, and sometimes you don’t realize that until something like this happens.”
Wednesday’s programming included “First to Bloom,” where students could make paper flower bouquets and enjoy refreshments at Ronald Tutor Campus Center. A talent show, “Wish Upon a Star,” was scheduled to follow at Tommy’s Place, giving students an opportunity to perform for their peers.
Elijah Agra, the first-generation student assembly’s advocacy liaison, said the week highlights the importance of making space for first-generation students at USC.
“If you do the math, one in four students, at least in the undergraduate, are first-generation. So, with that population being so ubiquitous around campus, it’s important to highlight that there is space for those students on campus,” Agra said.
Agra said navigating college can be intimidating for students whose parents cannot draw on their own college experiences to guide them. USC’s size and range of schools can add to that uncertainty.
“For a lack of better term, it’s intimidating, and to have space to celebrate, like you may not know yet, and having these organizations and groups help first-generation students navigate campus and create new systems, so that the generations after them don’t have to do it alone, that’s something worthy of celebration,” Agra said.
The week’s programming also included opportunities for students to prepare for life beyond college. A Thursday workshop event titled “Your Career” organized with the USC Career Center was scheduled to offer rotating stations on résume writing, interview preparation and networking.
Friday’s closing celebration, “FTFO: First to Fight On,” advertised a photo booth, crafts and food, according to its EngageSC listing.
USC’s events are part of a national tradition recognizing first-generation college students. The Council for Opportunity in Education and NASPA’s Center for First-generation Student Success launched the National First-Generation College Celebration in 2017. Observed annually on Nov. 8, the celebration marks the anniversary of the signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965. According to the council, the observance has expanded to include weeklong celebrations for undergraduate and graduate students.
At USC, the First Generation Plus Success Center functions to serve first-generation students, transfer students, undocumented students, and students with foster care experience, providing mentorship, campus resources and community programming.
For Kang, a freshman from South Korea, navigating college has also meant adjusting to a new country. Kang said having supportive parents who are unfamiliar with college systems, let alone American ones, has required figuring out much of the experience independently.
The First Generation Plus Success Center has helped with choosing classes and finding campus resources, while also offering a place of belonging.
“But the biggest thing for me is that it’s a space where I don’t have to explain myself,” Kang said. “Like I can just walk in and people get it.”
Kang said a staff member encouraged attending a business networking event after Kang expressed uncertainty about participating as a freshman. At the event, Kang met upperclassmen who offered advice about recruiting and clubs. Kang encouraged other students to seek the same support.
“Everyone there is going through something similar, and, yeah, you don’t have to figure everything out alone,” Kang said.
The First Generation Student Assembly, a student organization within Undergraduate Student Government, provides another avenue for students to connect. According to the center’s website, the assembly advocates for first-generation students through events, programming and campus initiatives. The center also hosts the Trojan Trailblazer Speaker Series, which connects students with faculty to discuss their academic and professional journeys outside of the classroom.
Beyond the week’s celebrations, the center offers academic and professional developmental programming and access to an embedded mental health counselor. Located in Room 224 of Ronald Tutor Campus Center, the center also connects students with career resources, scholarship opportunities and support for personal or academic challenges.
Edited by: Zayane El Solh and Nina Kremer