2-SALLY:THE UNIVERSITY OF
TEXAS CELEBRATES ITS FIRST-
GENERATION STUDENTS THIS WEEK.
LATER TODAY - U-T FIRST
GENERATION STUDENTS, FACULTY
AND STAFF ARE MEETING TO
NETWORK AND SHARE THEIR
EXPERIENCES.2-JOHN:ONE IN FIVE
U-T FRESHMEN THIS YEAR.. ARE
IN THEIR FAMIL'S FIRST
GENERATION TO GO TO COLLEGE.
AND OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS..
THE UNIVERSITY HAS COMMITTED
TO IMPROVING THE GRADUATION
RATE FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
3-AMANDA:THE NUMBERS SPEAK FOR
THEMSELVES.IN 2012.. THE
GRADUATION RATE FOR FIRST GEN
STUDENTS WAS 40-POINT-9 PERCENT
LAST YEAR.. IT WAS 61-POINT-5
PERCENT.THA'S A 50 PERCENT
INCREASE IN THE GRAD RATE.AS
CHRIS DAVIS SHOWS US - THE
CLIMB STARTED WITH THE
CREATION OF A NEW OFFICE.
WHEN HE WAS IN 8TH OR 9TH
GRADE.. LUCKY NGUYEN STARTED
THINKING ABOUT COLLEGE.LUCKY
NGUYEN: "WELL I KNEW I WANTED
TO PURSUE STORYTELLING."THE
HOUSTON NATIVE PICKED U-T FOR
ITS FILM SCHOOL..AND BECAUSE
I'S CLOSE TO HIS PARENTS..
BOTH VIETNAMESE
REFUGEES.LUCKY NGUYEN: "SO
THEY DO'T HAVE THAT
KNOWLEDGE OF COMING TO COLLEGE
AND LIKE HOW THAT WHOLE SYSTEM
WORKS."LUCKY NGUYEN: "THIS IS
THE HALLOWEEN VIDEO."HIS
WORK-STUDY HELPS HIM PAY
TUITION.. CREATING DIGITAL
CONTENT FOR AUSTIN P-B-S.HE
SOUGHT OUT A SUPPORT STRUCTURE
HERE.LUCKY NGUYEN: "THERE ARE
PEOPLE ON CAMPUS THAT WILL
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DO."MIKE
GUTIERREZ IS ONE OF THEM.MIKE
GUTIERREZ: "I CAME TO UT, 'M
A FIRST-GENERATION GRADUATE
MYSELF."H'S THE SENIOR
PROGRAM COORDINATOR AT STUDENT
SUCCESS
INITIATIVES.THIS IS THE OFFICE
CREATED IN 2013.. TO BOOST
GRADUATION RATES AND OFFER
SUPPORT TO FIRST-GEN STUDENTS.
MIKE GUTIERREZ: "WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND
THAT THE'RE A BIG PART OF
THIS COMMUNITY AND THAT THEY
BELONG HERE."LUCKY NGUYEN:
"AND TO REMIND US THAT W'VE
EARNED LIKE A SPACE HERE."
LUCKY RECOGNIZES THE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HIS
EXPERIENCE AND HIS
CLASSMATES.. BUT HE DOES'T
DWELL ON THEM.LUCKY NGUYEN:
"BY NOT DWELLING ON IT, 'M
ABLE TO JUST DOLE OUT, WHAT IS
IT THAT I CAN DO?"BEFORE HE
GRADUATES THIS MAY.. THA'S
THE MESSAGE H'LL LEAVE FOR
THE NEXT GENERATION OF FIRST
GENERATION STUDENTS.CHRIS
DAVIS KXAN NEWS.
3-JOHN:THE UNIVERSIT'S
OVERALL FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION
RATE IS ALSO RISING AS A
RESULT OF SOME OF THOSE
STUDENT INITIATIVES.
AMANDA:LAST YEAR IT HIT JUST
BELOW 70 PERCENT.. UP FROM 52
AND A HALF PERCENT IN 2012.
THA'S NOW JUST A FEW POINTS
HIGHER THAN THE RATE FOR FIRST-
GENERATION STUDENTS.
SALLY:U-T STARTED TRACKING
ENROLLMENT OF FIRST GENERATION
STUDENTS SINCE 2001.OVER THE
18 YEAR PERIOD.... THE NUMBER
OF STUDENTS REMAINED FAIRLY
CONSISTENT... WITH A RATE OF
22-PERCENT.THIS YEAR
ENROLLMENT IS AT NEARLY 23-
PERCENT.THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE
WAS TEN YEARS AGO IN 2009.THE
LOWEST WAS IN 2014... WITH A
PERCENTAGE RATE OF 19-POINT-3.
2-JOHN:IF YOU HAVE'T HEARD,
