By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western State University prizes its work to help first-generation students.
Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy says Missouri Western has many first-generation students.
“They’re the first in their family to go to college, to experience college,” Kennedy tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “College is not like K though 12. It’s a different experience and we want to make sure that those students who are coming in who don’t necessarily have the family support, because no one in their family has done it, that we provide the support for them to be successful.”
Missouri Western has at least 200 first-generation students in its freshmen class.
Kennedy says the St. Joseph campus works closely with first-generation students to help them succeed in the classroom.
“Higher education is to provide people opportunity,” Kennedy says. “Well, at Missouri Western we want to make sure that our first-generation students are successful in the opportunities they have to earn a degree and to move on to a successful career.”
The efforts by Missouri Western have garnered it national recognition. Missouri Western is the only university in the state to be honored by the Center for First-Generation Success; and one of only 53 recognized nationwide. The Center says the First-gen Forward designation recognizes colleges that have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the outcomes of first-generation college students.