The First-Generation Day celebration was held in the Kantar Student Center atrium, put on by Trio Student Support Services. 

To be in Trio, students must have a written disability, either physical or mental, be from a low-income family or be a first-generation student, meaning neither parent pursued a four-year degree.  

On Nov. 8, Trio gave out free donuts, juice, water and hot chocolate to all first-generation students. Students could grab a sticker and a button before filling out a paper with the prompt: “What does to mean to be first gen?” Trio had a sign-in sheet for those first-generation students who showed up.  

Liesel Powicki, the director of the Trio program at Wayne State College, was the main host of the event. She said that 43% of undergraduate students are first-generation, while 40% of total freshmen are first-generation.  Out of the Trio’s undergraduates, 81% are first-generation and 85% of the Trio freshmen are first-generation. WSC doesn’t keep track of first-generation faculty and staff, however, since Trio is a big advocate for first-generation, four of the five Trio staff members are first-generation graduates. These advisors are Jodene Cantrell, Eric “Vito” Cole and Nalee Moua, as well as Trio’s receptionist, Gloria Kuhlmeyer.