#FirstGenMke

Where the grass at doe?

Link: http://uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/preparing/multicultural.aspx

Grade: 11/12 TRIO Programs are federally funded programs for First Generation students or students whom come from Low-Income families. The UW system has many programs funded by TRIO. Upward Bound is one of the federally funded programs. Upward Bound is dedicated to prepare high school students for college. Visit the UW system page to see what colleges have these TRIO programs and what they offer for First-Gen students.

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Link: https://degreeproject.com

Grade: 9th

The Degree Project is a resource specifically for MPS students. By teaming up with Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates (Great Lakes), they take applications from freshman MPS students. If accepted into the program and you follow certain requirements until graduation- Great Lakes promises to give you up to $12,000 in scholarships for college (69 eligible nonprofit colleges). Visit the site for more information.

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The #FirstGenMKE website is designed to be a centralized online resource for First-Generation College Students. I want to keep its design modular, something that is similar to pinterest or tumblr in design. This way resources can be shared organically and sorted through tags. Instead of the site housing a lot of information it will link out to the resources available online. I hope to connect this to an alumni student blog to share tips and information for high school students. Often times getting information from peers feels more authentic and helpful than from other adults. If a student is unable to receive a #FirstGenMKE kit, they can still find resources specific to them through this website.

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The #FirstGenMKE kit is aimed to easily distribute the 4-book guide and stay organized. The kit would include a binder, notebook, folders, and business card holder. This way as you start to accumulate paperwork, important dates, or collect information on prospective colleges you are able to find what you need in one place.

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Creating not only a digital resource but also a physical guide was super important to me. Nothing can beat having a tangible and personal resource. By separating information by school year my hope is to make information less dense and stressful. Being piled on with tons of information is neither helpful or conducive to staying organized. I would like to further create a kit that can be easily given to FGCS at MPS schools through counselors, programs, or parents. I looked at brands that teens were attracted to and pulled bits and pieces of how information is organized and displayed. My initial sketches for the guidebook include bright and engaging colors, hand rendered type, and fun illustrations.

Each handbook would have a different illustrated cover and build off each other. So freshman year you may have information on how to apply for specific scholarships that start keeping track of you throughout high school; sophomore year you learn about scholarships in general and what you need to start collecting (such as test scores); junior year you will learn about the financial aid process in general; and senior year you will have the specific dates of when to apply for FAFSA and other outside scholarships. There is tons of information to cover when it comes to financial aid and scholarships but this way you are managing the information as you need it.

Sometimes less is more- by using “TL;DR’s” and infographics you can get an understanding of complex subjects if you are needing a brief example or information quickly. I would like to have some source of engagement within the books. Students can write information as they go along for quick reference, or even some source of interactivity through the MPS school system. I want students to use these books throughout the school year and not last minute when they realized they forgot to schedule a test date for the SAT or ACT!

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These are my initial concept sketches for a #FirstGenMKE poster campaign and social media presence. Often times we are not proud to call ourselves or identify as First Generation College Students. This campaign is meant to highlight not only being first gen but using an identifier you are proud to be. For example, I chose being proud to be creative. As a FGCS and also a First Generation American from South Asian immigrant parents, I felt as though I had only two choices for school- to become a doctor or an engineer. I know, this is super cliche. But I went against what my parents planned for me and decided to pursue a degree in Communication Design which I know was the correct path for me.

My goal with #FirstGenMKE is to empower students to pursue post-secondary education in what ever they choose. From technical and vocational schools, to community college, four year college, or a certification. I just want students to have the tools that they need to make an educated decision on where they want to go and how to get there. Through the hashtag #FirstGenMKE I want other First Generation College Students to share their resources and to share their stories. It is important to network with each other to create a strong community of support. A support system that understands what we’re going through and is able to help.

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My name is Debbie Sajnani and I am a Communication Design senior at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. As part of the MIAD curriculum we are required to create a final thesis project that encompasses the skills that we have acquired during our time as students here. As I began my thesis process I knew I wanted to create something that was not only important to myself but also others-especially since I would be working on this for a year.

I am a First Generation College Student (FGCS), meaning I am the first in my family to go to college. As a fellow FGCS, I know that we are faced with obstacles that many of our peers don’t have to deal with or understand-Including family and financial pressures. I am a transfer student from Kansas City but as I began my research I found out that 80% of students at Milwaukee Public Schools come from low-incomes families. Even though FGCS can come from any income level, low-income and FGCS tend to go hand and hand. That is when I decided Milwaukee students and specifically MPS students (13-17) was whom I wanted to target with my project.

According to the Pell Institute, 11% of low-income students that are also FGCS will have a college degree within six years of enrolling in school. My research then focused on what resources were available for assisting First Generation College Students. I did what any high schools student would do when they had a question- I googled it. I googled anything I could think of: “first gen student”, “first generation student resource”, “first generation Milwaukee”, whatever would bring up relevant results. To my surprise, I did find a lot of information and many resources. If all this information was out there, why aren’t students being connected to them?

I found that there was no centralized database for First Generation students. The information that I did find was often dense and hard to understand. I also found out that many of these programs began keeping track of students their freshman year in high school. My solution was to create a resource and guide for FGCS MPS high school students that is organized by school year.

This is how #FirstGenMKE was created.

Stay tuned for design updates as I enter that stage of my project and community resources as I come across them!

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