First Gen Success

First Gen Success (FGS) maintains its commitment to helping minority females from underserved Charlotte-Mecklenburg communities become the first in their families to attend college. Through partnerships with high schools, FGS recruits seniors interested in pursuing a higher education, but unsure of how to accomplish that goal. These young women lack the educational resources, social equity, and family background needed to attend college. That is where First Gen Success enters. We are the BRIDGE to higher education. At no cost to the girls or the schools, we enroll them in our dynamic and constantly evolving programs to lessen the generational gap and constant economic disparities for seniors on their way to becoming the first in their families to attend a college or university. 

In our Prep-HER-ation Personal Development Program, and year-long Mentoring Program, FGS scholars learn how to make strategic long-term decisions, how to manage their responses to life’s challenges, how to make smart financial decisions, and how to give back to the community. This year, that included collaborating with experienced professionals and volunteers to accomplish just some of the following activities: 

Monthly Programs – attended sessions on topics such as team building, personal branding, networking, job shadowing. 

Tutoring – assistance with class assignments and preparation for ACT and SAT; 

Career Readiness - aid researching careers, and selecting the best college; help with essays for applications and scholarships and financial aid forms; 

College Tours – provided transportation to universities with the opportunity to speak with other first-gen students and college faculty and staff; 

Community Activism – introduce scholars to volunteer experiences by partnering with other non profits and creating community service opportunities.