2026 First-generation Graduate and Professional Student Symposium
Includes a Live Web Event on 02/20/2026 at 10:30 AM (EST)
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The First-generation Graduate and Professional Student Symposium is a symposium by first-generation graduate and professional students for first-generation graduate and professional students.
Join the Boston University Newbury Center, Duke University First-Generation Graduate Student Network, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Carolina Grad Student F1RSTS, along with our Cooperating Sponsor, FirstGen Forward, for our 9th annual symposium for graduate and professional students on February 20, 2026 via Zoom. Please register by February 16, 2025, at 11:59pm ET.
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Concurrent Session
02/20/2026 at 10:30 AM (EST) | 60 minutes
02/20/2026 at 10:30 AM (EST) | 60 minutes
Session Description: Coming Soon
Concurrent Session Block 1: Funding Your Graduate Education
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
This session will help students better understand funding resources for graduate school and how to explore and apply for funding opportunities.
Presenters: Julie Montaigne
Concurrent Session Block 1: Excellence> Perfection: Perfectionism and Self Compassion
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
Perfectionism can create unnecessary pressure and diminish the joy we find in our work. This workshop will help you become more aware of how perfectionist thinking may be impacting you. You will be able to differentiate perfectionism from a healthy pursuit of excellence and learn to use the skill of self-compassion to temper the negative influence of perfectionist thinking so you can thrive.
Presenter: Beverly Chen
Concurrent Session Block 1: Rejection is Redirection: Thriving Through Setbacks as a First-Gen Student/Professional
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
Session Description: Pending
Presenter: Leticia Garcia Arango and Maria Alcantara Ornelas
Concurrent Session Block 1: How to Use (and Not Use) GenAI in Your Job Search
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
Session Description: Generative AI is reshaping the job search for graduate and professional students. This session combines background information with hands-on practice. Bring your resume and cover letter to test out prompts and tips in session. Leave with resources for using AI intentionally and confidence to know how to use (and not to use) GenAI for your job and internship applications.
Presenter: Ilana Palmer and Catherine Allen
Concurrent Session Block 2: How to Negotiate When Negotiating Makes You Nervous
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
Session Description: We negotiate every day at school, at work, and elsewhere in our lives, but negotiating, especially when it matters most can be stressful and difficult. Often, the outcomes matter, as does our relationship with the other party, and we have to discuss challenging subjects with difficult people. This session combines negotiation and emotional intelligence skills to help participants advocate effectively for themselves when it matters most.
Presenters: Moshe Cohen
Concurrent Session Block 2: A Conversation about First-Generation Student Mental Health
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
Session Description: In this roundtable discussion, we will be exploring mental health and the specific needs and experiences of first-generation undergraduate and graduate students. The facilitated conversation will surround defining the first-gen experience, support systems and resources, community and belonging, and resilience. The goal of this roundtable discussion is to promote awareness of mental health and foster connection.
Presenter: Alyssa Ciniglio
Concurrent Session Block 2: Making Graduate School Make Sense: Purpose, Mentorship, and Professional Direction
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
Session Description: First-generation graduate students are often expected to navigate professional development and mentorship without clear tools or roadmaps. This workshop responds to that gap by providing participants with concrete, take-home resources designed to support purposeful decision-making in graduate school. Grounded in the first-generation experience, the session guides students through structured reflection worksheets to clarify values and career priorities, mentoring network maps to identify and engage key supporters, and skill-mapping tools that translate academic experiences into career-ready language. Rather than focusing on abstract professional development concepts, this workshop equips participants with practical templates, guiding prompts, and planning resources they can immediately apply to build mentoring relationships, articulate strengths, and make intentional academic and professional choices with confidence.
Presenter: Orley Estrada
Concurrent Session Block 2: From Paychecks to Portfolios: Financial Wellness as a Catalyst for First-Gen Graduate Student Stability & Success
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
10/23/2025 at 10:30 AM (EDT) | 60 minutes
Session Description: First-generation graduate and professional students often navigate academia, family responsibility, and financial pressure simultaneously—without the safety nets or guidance their peers may have. This program, From Paychecks to Portfolios, reframes financial wellness as a core component of academic persistence, mental health, and long-term career success. Rooted in the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, this session provides a practical framework to help first- gen students manage limited income, optimize university or employer benefits, build emergency savings, understand student loan repayment options, and begin investing—even while in school. More than financial theory, this workshop addresses identity navigation: how to be a student, a professional, and often a family provider at the same time. Participants walk away with a 90-Day Financial Stability Plan, a Benefits Optimization Checklist, and tools to reduce financial stress while building long-term security. This session offers research- backed insights, lived experience, and immediately applicable strategies to help first-gen students not just survive graduate education—but use it as a launchpad to build wealth and legacy.
Presenters: Jackie Whitehead