It’s clear we’re proud of all our Spiders, but we reserve special praise for those determined students who are the first in their families to pursue an undergraduate degree. And that commitment to our first-gen Spiders has just received national attention.

We’ve been selected as one of an inaugural cohort of First Forward institutions by the Center for First-generation Student Success and The Suder Foundation. This designation recognizes higher ed institutions that are improving experiences and advancing outcomes of first-gen college students — and includes a shout-out for our Spider Firsts program.

“It is evident that Richmond is not only taking steps to serve first-generation students, but is also prepared to make a long-term commitment and employ strategies for significant scaling and important advances in the future,” said Sarah E. Whitley, senior director of the Center for First-generation Student Success. 

We are thrilled to be recognized for such an important initiative, and congratulate our first-gen seniors who are graduating in just a few days!