We Are First Gen
Office Mission:
The mission of The Office of First-Generation Initiatives is to provide a supportive and welcoming community for all first-generation students and their families by building a campus culture that celebrates and honors the first-generation identity. We connect first-generation students to faculty/staff, resources, and information to help promote academic excellence and sense of belonging from enrollment to graduation.
Definition:
The University of Missouri defines a first-generation college student as one whose parents do not have a bachelor’s degree from a college or university. This also includes students (before age 18) who have not lived with or received support from a parent who has received a bachelor’s degree.
![](https://firstgeneration.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2024/02/1G-Week_Instagram-Post-3.png)
By the Numbers
First Generation
33%
of students nationally
25%
of new Mizzou students (first-time college and transfer)
Events
Success Stories
![](https://firstgeneration.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2021/10/A-Familys-Sacrifice-for-Success_web-300x200.jpg)
A Family’s Sacrifice for Success
First-gen college student from Venezuela follows his dreams to Mizzou
![](https://firstgeneration.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2021/10/Lifesavers_web-300x200.jpg)
Lifesavers
MU Student Affairs Care Team helps first-generation college student settle in at Mizzou
![](https://firstgeneration.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2022/09/081721_businessIDE4-300x200.jpg)
When work meets luck
Published on Mizzou Show Me News August 19, 2021 Jesus Oropeza says he just got lucky, but hard work has a lot to do with it. Growing up in Brookfield, Missouri, Oropeza’s childhood wasn’t always a happy one. He was bullied, sometimes violently. His mom worked hard at a factory and still struggled to make…
![](https://firstgeneration.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2023/05/042623Debora-300x200.jpg)
Intergenerational dreams
First-generation college student Débora Paez Perez found the right major later in her college career. See how her calling is also fulfilling a lifelong dream of her immigrant mother.
Stay Connected
For Faculty/staff: If you would like to join the FIRST Network Newsletter or collaborate with our office and more, please fill out the form here!