Centerton, Ark., senior Gracie Lawhon is graduating with her bachelor’s in biology; however, unlike the majority of students, she is the first in her family to graduate. She currently serves as the student outreach specialist for the student organization First in Line and is a Trailblazer Scholar.
Browsing: First in Line
While first-generation students make up an estimated 16% of Baylor’s student body, Frisco senior Liberty Ferguson said significantly fewer take advantage of the available scholarships and programming, making student engagement a key success factor.
“This is such a special journey for all of our students, but for our first-generation students, there’s that extra layer of that uniqueness of the journey in them being the first in their families to pursue higher education,” Michelle Gonzalez, program manager, said. “It’s a huge accomplishment. We can’t let them just graduate and not lift them up one more time.”
