Ella Staehr | staff writer
 
Throughout the years, Duquesne University has celebrated its many first-generation college students through its annual First-Generation College Student Celebration Day.

The university says that roughly 28% of students are first-generation, which its website describes as “a student whose parents or legal guardians did not complete a four-year college or bachelor’s degree.”

During last year’s event, the university announced plans to bring an honors society celebrating first-generation students, Alpha Alpha Alpha (Tri-Alpha), to campus.

The group was founded in 2018 at Moravian College (now Moravian University) in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania as a nonprofit organization.

Duquesne’s Tri-Alpha President, Emily Prentice said this group is important to have at the university to recognize the accomplishments of a community that has the odds stacked against their success.

“We’re all about celebrating first-gen excellence, because it is an accomplishment of how far we’ve made it on our own,” Prentice said.

As president, she works with advisers and the rest of the executive board to plan meetings and educational events.

She said that as a first-generation college student herself, coming to Duquesne as a freshman was an overwhelming and isolating time.

“I felt like all my friends kind of knew what they were doing. Their parents were alumni of Duquesne, or they had went to college before, and they knew a lot about filling out the FAFSA, about applying to scholarships and registering for classes,” Prentice said. “I wasn’t totally sure what the right thing to do was.”

She added that connecting with other first-generation students helped her succeed at Duquesne and feel understood.

Tri-Alpha focuses on building a community for first generation students and offering support to those who are a part of it. Through Tri-Alpha, first generation students can navigate the college process and receive help transitioning into an unfamiliar environment.

Chelsea Dowhy, the chapter’s secretary and treasurer, said that having a community of people who understand the first-generation experience makes it easier for students to share information.

“It can be really challenging to adapt and just kind of figure out how to make resumes or good internships or anything like that,” Dowhy said. “I think it’s really important to make sure everyone feels seen and kind of be there for each other because sometimes it is nice just to have someone to relate to.”

Members of Tri-Alpha attend monthly meetings and activities hosted by the honors society.

Nov. 2-6 is also Duquesne’s inaugural First-Generation College Student Celebration Week, and the group is hosting a trivia night with the theme of “firsts” on Thursday.

Vice President Alyssa Ball said she hopes this community brings visibility to the first-generation college student experience at Duquesne because it’s not a well-known group.

“A lot of people don’t know what it means to be a first-gen,” Ball said. “Students can use [our resources] to support each other but also support themselves.”

Ella Staehr can be reached at staehre@duq.edu