By Lauren Mar ’25
In mid-August, before many new Scripps students arrived on campus for New Student Programs and Orientation (NSPO), Taylor Tsiamas 鈥�24 and Bernice Abanda 鈥�25 hosted a pre-orientation for first-generation, or 鈥渇irst-gen鈥� students. The label generally refers to students who are the first in their family to attend college. As first-gen students themselves, Tsiamas and Abanda work at the Office of Scripps Communities of Resources and Empowerment (SCORE) as First-Generation @ Scripps interns.
鈥淭he First-Gen @ Scripps program has totally changed my experience at Scripps,鈥� says Tsiamas. As a junior who experienced their first year during pandemic-induced remote learning, Tsiamas struggled to find belonging. 鈥淏ecause I got to meet people in the First Gen program, it was super helpful to make me feel more connected to Scripps.鈥�
First-Gen @ Scripps was founded in the fall of 2010 by Melissa Mesinas ’12, a first-gen Scripps alum who is currently the Consortium for Faculty Diversity Fellow and a visiting assistant professor of psychology. The program began as a three-day pre-orientation event, now affectionately nicknamed 鈥淧re-O,鈥� which today exposes first-gen students to topics of navigating academics, knowing campus resources, understanding financial aid, getting involved at Scripps and The Claremont Colleges, meeting with student leaders, and connecting with other first-gen students, staff, and faculty.
鈥淐oming to college as a first-gen and low-income student, there were so many things I was unaware of,鈥� says Abanda. 鈥淏ut knowing that I wasn’t the only one experiencing and feeling similar feelings of imposter syndrome was comforting. The friends I made during Pre-O are some of my closest friends today.鈥�
Under the guidance and leadership of the First-Gen Coordinator and Assistant Director of Scripps Communities of Resources and Empowerment (SCORE) Elba Mandujano, First-Gen @ Scripps hosts social events, mixers, and collaborative programming with faculty liaisons and offices such as Career Planning & Resources.
As First-Gen interns at SCORE, Tsiamas and Abanda send out a biweekly First-Gen newsletter 聽to update students on upcoming events. The program also facilitates a mentorship program in which first-year first-gen students are paired with first-gen sophomore, junior, and senior mentors based on shared academic and personal interests.
Both Tsiamas and Abanda express great gratitude for First-Gen @ Scripps and the community it creates for them on campus. 鈥淗aving the safety net of the First-Gen community made my transition bearable,鈥� says Abanda. 鈥淚’m so grateful for this program and the community I found here, and I continue to vouch for it completely.鈥�
The pair鈥檚 involvement in the program have motivated them to develop other resources for first-gen students like themselves.
鈥淏ecause higher education systems are very inaccessible for a lot of different reasons, having that institutional support is super important to our success but also our wellbeing,鈥� says Tsiamas. 鈥淣ot only does first-generation programming assist in students鈥� transition to college, but it also validates their identities and experiences.鈥�
鈥淢y identity as a first-gen Black woman is something that is unique to me,鈥� Abanda reflects. 鈥淎nd being a part of First-Gen @ Scripps has welcomed that and positively shaped my experience as a Scripps student.鈥�