The journeys of first-gen college students.
They are the first in their families to earn college degrees. Meet eight first-generation students and recent graduates as they overcome obstacles while pursuing higher education and its benefits. This new docuseries helps celebrate the 40th anniversary of Colorado State University’s landmark scholarship program for first-gen students – a program that delivers on the promise of land-grant education as it sets students on a path to a brighter tomorrow.
Meet the students
Rebekah Buena
CSU, Landscape Architecture
Robert Lamm
CSU, Environmental Engineering
Yasmine Hernandez
CSU Pueblo, Nursing
Jesse Vido
CSU Pueblo, Cybersecurity
Justina Slim
CSU, Animal Science
Ashley Magee
CSU, Health and Exercise Science
Kenan Thomas
CSU, History and Political Science
Christina Horn
CSU Global, Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts & Teaching and Learning
“First-generation students are the foundation of the Morrill Act of 1862 and what it means to be a land-grant university. With that act, it was our country’s conscious decision to open up college education to the children of the working classes. These students represent a vast reservoir of talent, and we provide the opportunity to unlock that potential. All of us benefit in the process. That’s the promise and the potential of a land-grant university.”
—Tony Frank, Chancellor, CSU System
Read Chancellor Frank’s column and President Parsons’ column on first-generation students.
Learn their stories
Videos will be released October 2024 through Spring 2025.
She is a graduate of Bruce Randolph School in Denver who got hooked on higher education through nearby CSU Spur, became a horticulture research assistant there, and recently entered CSU as an Honors student in landscape architecture. Read Rebekah’s story.
He battled alcoholism that left him legally blind. Now, this student from Wheat Ridge is studying environmental engineering at CSU while serving as a Presidential Ambassador and conducting research in mosquito tracking to fight infectious disease. Read Robert’s story.
Yasmine Hernandez
From Johnstown, Colorado, she is a young alumna of CSU Pueblo who excelled as a nursing student and track-and-field athlete and now competes in national races while striving to become a hospital executive. Hernandez earned a B.S. and an M.S. with honors. Read Yasmine’s story.
Jesse Vido
His family faced financial hardship in Pueblo, yet Vido made it to CSU Pueblo to study cybersecurity and compete on the nationally dominant CyberWolves team. He is active in student government, works on campus, and aims to be a role model for his five younger siblings. Read Jesse’s story.
Justina Slim
She is a cowgirl from the Navajo Nation who came to CSU to study animal science and methods to improve beef cattle production. Now, Slim has returned to Tribal land and works as a livestock Extension agent, hoping to improve the economy and food security for her Nation. Read Justina’s story.
Ashley Magee
A squadron leader for the Ram Battalion, this Army ROTC cadet from Manitou Springs decided as a teenager that she wanted to serve our country. She is studying health and exercise science at CSU with the goal of becoming a military physical therapist.
Kenan Thomas
He was expelled from middle school. But Kenan Thomas transformed from an at-risk student to the salutatorian of his Fort Collins high school. Now studying history and political science at CSU, he serves as a mentor for other first-gen students of color and strives to be a teacher.
Christina Horn
She grew up running around her family’s peach orchards in Palisade. That experience serves her well these days: Horn is a businesswoman on the Western Slope who trains restaurateurs and health officials in food safety measures, with expertise in produce.
Support the scholarship
For first-generation students, getting to CSU is just the start. A gift to the First Generation Award Legacy Scholarship helps fulfill the Colorado State experience for these students and sets the stage for higher earnings, more job opportunities, and a landmark moment in their stories.