Hi, this is Donald Hall, Dean of Faculty
of Arts, Sciences and Engineering here at the
University of Rochester.
I'm going to start with a personal story.
I grew up in rural Alabama, and was the first
person in my family to go to college.
I arrived at the university not knowing how
to access services, feeling completely disconnected
from the environment around me.
What is so gratifying here at the University
of Rochester is that we have the infrastructure
to support those first-generation students.
It's called the Kearns Center.
20% of our undergraduates -- 1,200 undergraduates
here -- are the first in their family to go
to college.
They don't know what questions to ask.
They're not sure what to expect.
They don't realize that University is here
to help them.
We even have a class now that will assist
those students -- CAS 145 Navigating the Academy
-- which will help them transition successfully
to the University.
First-gen students are trailblazers.
I know I went back to my family, my three
younger brothers all followed me out, they
went to university, and they're spread across
the world now, incredibly successful.
So I want us to celebrate the experiences
of first-get students, know that we're doing
everything we can here to ensure their success.
Thank you very much.
Meliora.
