Onward and upward

In early November, campuses across the country will pause to celebrate First-Generation Students Day, honoring those students who are trailblazers in their families. At UC Irvine, the day is a moment to reflect on the university's long-standing mission to facilitate upward mobility and transform futures, especially for students who are first in their families to attend college.

UC Irvine sees social mobility not merely as a goal but as a core measure of its success. For years, it has ranked among the nation's top public universities in fostering upward mobility among its graduates. Nearly half of UC Irvine bachelor's degrees now go to first-generation students, a testament to the institution's inclusive vision.

On First-Gen Day, the campus will shine a spotlight on the programs that turn aspirations into reality - the initiatives, the support networks - and the stories of students whose lives have been reshaped by access to higher education. The day underscores that for many students, UC Irvine is not just a pathway to a degree but a bridge to a new life. On Wednesday, Nov. 5, a First-Gen Day Celebration will be held in the Student Center from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. All are invited to attend.

"First-Gen Students Day is more than a celebration - it's a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience and potential of our students," says Michael Dennin, vice provost for teaching and learning. "At UC Irvine, we don't just acknowledge the challenges that first-gen students face; we build systems to help them thrive."

Holistic support

At the heart of UC Irvine's effort is the Gateway Initiative, which offers a constellation of services tailored for low-income, first-generation students: tutoring, cohort-based advising, item loans (including laptops and textbooks) and strategic referral support. By removing financial and logistical barriers, UC Irvine provides first-generation students with the tools to not only enroll but also persist.

A particularly innovative program is Gateway Scholars, which pairs incoming first-gen and low-income students with dedicated advisors and peer mentors. The emphasis is on academic integration, professional development and community building - key ingredients for staying the course through college's turbulence.

The campus also offers the First-Generation First-Quarter Challenge, a pilot mentorship program in which upper-division first-gen students coach first-gen freshmen through their first 10 weeks - helping them navigate study strategies, relationships with faculty and campus norms. In many cases, this peer-to-peer support makes the difference between early missteps and sustained success.

These efforts are complemented by UC Irvine's first-generation staff and faculty initiatives, which encourage campus leaders and educators - many of them first-gen themselves - to engage with and mentor students. The visibility of role models who have walked similar paths helps normalize ambition for students who sometimes struggle with isolation or doubt.

Evidence that it works

Across the UC system, first-generation students' outcomes are strong: About 81 percent graduate within six years, a rate far above the national average for first-gen students at public institutions. Importantly, their earnings trajectories tend to outpace those of their parents and many peers, underscoring the economic impact of access to a UC education.

At UC Irvine specifically, first-gen enrollment has surged; almost 50 percent of undergraduate degrees are earned by first-gen students. That alone marks a cultural shift: UC Irvine is not just a place such students arrive at but a place shaped by their presence.

A chancellor's personal stake

Howard Gillman is not only UC Irvine's chancellor; he is a first-generation college graduate himself. That lived experience gives his words particular weight. In reflections on UC Irvine's mission, Gillman has emphasized the university's role in advancing the American dream, writing: "There is no greater force for the advancement of human progress and enlightenment than the modern research university. We will expand opportunity and make a better world."

That vision animates UC Irvine's belief that when a student with limited means earns a degree, the ripple effects reach far beyond individual lives - contributing to communities, economies and civic life.

In fact, UC Irvine has twice earned top recognition from The New York Times as the university "doing the most for the American dream" due to its unmatched commitment to economic mobility and access for low- and middle-income students.

Stories of impact

Consider a student who once feared that college was a leap into the unknown - unfamiliar systems, no family template to follow and academic expectations that felt opaque. The mentorship, cohort community, free tutoring and just-in-time support from UC Irvine helped transform that fear into confidence. Stories like this are common at UC Irvine: first-generation students who not only graduate but go on to improve their communities, enter public service, join health professions and mentor those behind them.

And by celebrating those stories on First-Gen Day - inviting students, faculty and staff to reflect, share and renew the promise of social mobility - UC Irvine underscores that first-gen success is not an afterthought; it is central to its identity.

The day reminds the campus - and the community - that opportunity is not fixed, that one's origins need not predict one's destination. At UC Irvine, rising through college is a collective enterprise involving institutions, mentors, peers and leaders like Chancellor Gillman - all anchored in the conviction that in lifting first-generation students, society lifts itself.