On April 17, First Gen Family, a student organization at Saint Mary’s College, held their first-ever pinning ceremony for first-generation seniors at Stapleton Lounge, where faculty and students were invited to watch. A pinning ceremony bestows pins on students to wear on their graduation robes at commencement.
The event was followed by a cookout that was co-sponsored with the Black Student Association. While the pinning ceremony is a new event, the cookout is not. The cookout is held annually for first-generation students in the tri-campus community to connect and interact with each other.
Christin Kloski, director of student equity at SMC and the advisor for First Gen Family, described the importance of the pinning ceremony and of recognizing first-generation students’ milestones.
“So often we hear more about the barriers of first-gen students than their assets, and so I think this pin just really showcases that sense of ‘I did it,” Kloski said.
During the ceremony, attendees were given pamphlets that included responses from seniors about what they are most proud of, their favorite memory of Saint Mary’s and advice for other first-generation students.
Senior Jaida Beasley, a physics major with a minor in mathematics and a member of First Gen Family, said she was most proud of the space Saint Mary’s provided her to “grow intellectually, emotionally and physically.”
“My past four years here, it’s been nothing but a blessing, even in the moments I didn’t recognize it. The school and its community has not only filled my cup to overflow, but has given me the resources to understand how I can use my cup to fill others,” Beasley said.
For the ceremony, underclassmen and faculty members gifted the seniors their first-gen pins after a few congratulatory words.
Kloski said she felt excited to plan the first pinning ceremony for first-generation students.
“Students used to just come to my office and pick up a pin and a booklet that celebrates all the first-gen students who are graduating,” Kloski said. “So many of our seniors talked about how awkward and uncomfortable it would be just to pick up a pin. It doesn’t seem so celebratory. It doesn’t seem like it’s a big honor, so we wanted to do a mix of a very relaxed, but also celebratory [ceremony] for our seniors.”
Afterward, a cookout was held outside in Belles Backyard in place of a reception to create a more casual feel for the event, Kloski said.
“When we have things that celebrate [graduation], you realize how big of an impact it really is and how big of a community [it] is, because a lot of people don’t know we have almost 400 to 500 active first-gen people on campus,” junior Cordelia Vazquez, 2024-25 president of First Gen Family, said. “I think it’s important to have these spaces and give those voices to those who should be recognized for these big accomplishments.”
Beasley says she found support in First Gen Family during her time at Saint Mary’s and feels grateful to the club for preparing her to “tackle life.”
“I can’t count on both hands how many times it just felt almost impossible to get through sometimes, and First Gen Fam has always been a place where, especially this year, I can go and just relate to others and get the resources I needed,” she said.
