W, EMCC students come together for inaugural retreat
A cohort of first-generation students from Mississippi University for Women and East Mississippi Community College, members of the Lowndes First-generation Youth Realizing Success Together (FYRST) Leaders, came together at Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center in January for the inaugural leadership retreat.
“The retreat focused on personal and leadership development activities as well as teambuilding. In groups, students unpacked the first-gen experience and identified areas for needed support. They created proposals for a service project to assist high school students who will be the first in their family to attend college,” said Dr. Clear Moore, director of the Student Success Center at The W.
Lowndes FYRST Leaders is a partnership between The W, EMCC and the Rotary Club of Columbus. Four W students and three EMCC students made up this inaugural group.
“The Lowndes FYRST retreat was a transformative experience for our students. They had the opportunity to connect with other first-generation college students through workshops, team-building exercises and inspiring guest speakers. As one of the leaders of this group, I was especially proud to witness their confidence grow as they shared their stories and formed meaningful connections with their peers,” said LeAnn Alexander, dean of students at EMCC Golden Triangle.
At the conclusion of the retreat, students presented their proposals, which were formulated over the course of the two-day retreat.
“At the concluding luncheon, the groups presented their ideas toRotary members, both W and EMCC administration and Columbus Boys and Girls Club Director Brittany Turner, who was the guest speaker. After the presentations, Ms. Alexander and I, program mentors, selected the winning proposal and offered suggestions to include elements of all the proposals. The groups will work to plan and implement programming in April at the Boy and Girls Club for high school students who will be first-gen,” said Moore.
The retreat served to develop leadership and communication skills among the students as the basis for their role as leaders for future cohorts.
Madisyn Watkins, a freshman biology major at The W, found the experience to be both fun and informative.
“I really enjoyed creating a poster that represented our first semester in college. It was a fun way to reflect on our journey so far. I learned a lot about the importance of communication and leadership. Effective communication is key to being a great leader, and that was one of the main focuses of the retreat. I’m looking forward to the service project because I’m excited to give back to the kids and share the knowledge I didn’t have as a first-generation college student,” Watkins said.
Students also enjoyed a sense of camaraderie and community with each other during the retreat.
“The retreat was a very enjoyable experience for me. I especially enjoyed getting to know all of the participants and knowing that I’m not alone in my experience as a first-generation student. I’m looking forward to sharing my experience as a first-generation student with the high school students and being able to give them the advice I didn’t have going into college,” said Sylvia Chen, a sophomore public health major at The W.
The W, EMCC and Rotary Club of Columbus signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July, establishing the program. This collaboration began when Lauren Barker was president of the Rotary Club of Columbus.
“As a first-generation college student, I saw the importance of this program from the moment Dr. Clear Moore and LeAnn Alexander presented it to me and knew I wanted our club to be involved. Our club tries to support projects that fall into Rotary’s seven areas of focus.Lowndes FYRST not only fits under basic education, but I also felt like this program could potentially have an impact on our community’s economic development by preparing better future leaders,” said Barker.
The signed agreement was effective immediately and will continue from year to year for a maximum of three years. The Rotary Club of Columbus funds and provides volunteers to support Lowndes FYRST.
This program is another aspect of the First in Flight program, The W’s umbrella initiative aimed at first-generation student success.
To learn more about the Student Success Center and all of the first-gen programming, please visit www.muw.edu/ssc.