The 5th Annual First-Generation Graduate Student Symposium

Join the Newbury Center, Duke University First-Generation Graduate Student Network, and UNC Chapel Hill Diversity and Student Success for our 5th annual symposium for graduate and professional students. The symposium will be on March 25, 2022 via Zoom. Please take a look at all the offerings we will have such as a talk with keynote speaker Rashné Jehangir, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Robert H. Beck Chair of Ideas, University of Minnesota, network opportunities with other first-generation graduate/professional students at other institutions, sessions, and more! All times listed below are EST. Priority deadline for Boston University, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill first-gen grad/professional students is Friday, March 11 before it is open to other institutions.

*This Symposium is only for current first-generation graduate and professional students.  While we appreciate the support of administrators, faculty, and staff, we would like to reserve the “seats” for students in this limited-capacity virtual event.  Thank you in advance for your understanding!  

Keynote Speaker 

Rashné Jehangir, PhD. is an Associate Professor of Higher Education and the Robert H. Beck Chair of Ideas in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities. She began her career as an advisor for first-generation, low-income college students in the federally funded SSS TRIO program at the University of Minnesota. Her research and praxis interests focus on experience of low-income, first-generation students, critical pedagogy and identity development; learning communities and design and structure of undergraduate programs including First Year Experience Programs and partnerships with student services, advising and student affairs.

Symposium Schedule

1-1:10pm Welcoming Remarks

1:10-1:50pm   Networking 

1:50-2pm Break 

2:00-3pm Keynote Speaker: Rashne Jehangir, PhD, Associate Professor; Director of Undergraduate Studies; Beck Chair of Ideas in Education – University of Minnesota

3-3:10pm Break 

3:10-3:55pm Session 1  

Financial Literacy: Budgeting, Tips for Saving Money – The facilitator will present a template to assist students in developing a personal budget to track income and expenses. She will offer tips on budgeting fixed expenses (rent, insurance, essential groceries) and variable expenses (clothing, dining out, entertainment). She will also discuss how to obtain and maintain good credit and the importance of establishing a strong credit history for long-term financial health including financing a car, buying a home, and managing student loans and other debt. – Sarah Abbott, Brown University                                              

How to say No: Setting Boundaries in the Academic Setting and Workplace –  Participants will explore strategies for creating and maintaining boundaries in all aspects of one’s life–school, work, relationships, etc. – Juan Leon Parra, Boston University 

Mentoring and Networking:  What You Need to Know – Two skills that are critical for success in graduate school and beyond are establishing productive mentoring relationships and building professional networks. This interactive workshop will provide participants with approaches, strategies, and opportunities to reflect on their mentoring and networking needs. Participants will create an action plan for finding mentors, ways to communicate with mentors, and reduce the anxiety around building networks with others. – Brian Rybarczyk, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

3:55-4:05pm Break  

4:05-4:50pm Session 2 

Taking Credit: Owning Your Relationship With Money- Participants will explore spending, lending, balancing work responsibilities, and owning and talking about their financial situation.This interactive workshop is for all levels of budgeters. – Ioannis Zacharioudakis, Boston University               

Navigating Relationships – As a first-generation student, you may face lack of understanding and support from your family of origin. Even when your family is supportive, they may not understand the stressors you are going through at school. Additionally, you may start feeling different at school and at home. We will discuss together how to navigate family relationships, set boundaries, and help your family members to understand your school experiences. –Jenya Fazletdinova, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

You–The Brand  “Personal brand” is a common term mentioned in many settings today. But, what exactly is a personal brand and how does one create their brand? This session will help to demystify the concept of a personal brand by sharing strategies and tips for creating and showcasing your own. We will also cover how your background, attributes, and experiences create your unique story for an authentic career search. – Stacia Solomon, Duke University

4:50-5pm Closing Remarks 

REGISTER HERE

Presenters

Sarah Abbott, MBA, MSA, is Associate Director of Accounting at Brown University.

She graduated from Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences and Suffolk University’s Sawyer School of Business. Sarah has worked in the accounting profession for over ten years in both public accounting firms and non-profit institutions of higher education. Sarah enjoys helping students prepare personal budgets and offers tips on budgeting expenses such as rent, groceries, clothing and entertainment. She also coaches students on obtaining and maintaining good credit and the importance of establishing a strong credit history for long term financial health. Sarah enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and stand-up paddle boarding. She also practices yoga and loves to play tennis. 

Juan Leon Parra, LMHC, Training Associate, College Mental Health Education Programs, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Juan (he/him) is native from Chile and is a First-Gen college coach and instructor at BU’s College Mental Health Education Programs. Juan has been a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts since 2012. Juan loves playing Latin American rhythms and music with the guitar. He also likes to play soccer with friends, and practice mindfulness meditation. He goes on silent meditation retreats from time to time.

Brian Rybarczyk, Ph.D. is the Associate Dean for Professional Development and Funding.

He oversees implementation of professional, career development, and fellowship programs administered by The Graduate School. He has worked in graduate student professional development for over 15 years. He develops and implements graduate funding policies and oversees the review processes for a dozen fellowships, awards, plus several grants, scholarships and assistantships annually administered by The Graduate School. He is an active member of the Graduate Career Consortium, a professional organization that advances graduate and postdoctoral career and professional development. Being a first-generation graduate student, he has navigated academic spaces himself and continues to support students’ transition into graduate school and beyond. 

Ioannis Zacharioudakis, Graduate Counseling Student at Boston University’ Wheelock College of Education & Human Development

Hello, my name is Ioannis Zacharioudakis (he/him/his) and I am currently a graduate counseling student at BU Wheelock. I was born and raised in Greece and then went on to complete my undergraduate studies at NYU, studying a multitude of things such as Psychology, French Literature, Chemistry and Philosophy. Outside of the academic space I enjoy sunny walks, coffee (perhaps a little too much) and riding horses whenever possible. While not a first-gen student myself, I have found that the experience of studying in this country and the struggles of being an international student have many parallels with those of first-gen students.

Evgeniya (Jenya) Fazletdinova, M.A. is a pre-doctoral psychology intern at CAPS.

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