Past School Initiatives
2023
Lunch & Learn
The School of Pharmacy and School of Medicine are collaborating to bring first generation students together for a “Lunch & Learn” event! As a part of the school initiatives, they are bringing in speakers from the Aggie community to learn about their story and how being a first generation impacted their road to success. On April 4 th all the locations from the School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy are invited to hear Mr. Wayne Roberts ’85, First Generation college student and businessman.
Mr. Wayne Roberts is a graduate of Texas A&M with a BBA in Business Analysis and a Master of Business Administration. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Abrigo, the leading provider of enterprise risk management solutions to America's community financial institutions. He is devoted to pushing Texas A&M University toward excellence. Notably, he stands out as an exceptional benefactor of Mays Business School, which honored him as an Outstanding Alumnus in 2019, as well as the lead donor for The Association of Former Students' project to revitalize Aggie Park, in honor of his late wife Shannon '86.
To watch the full video of the Lunch & Learn event, please click here.
First Gen Student Career Conference
The 3rd Annual 2023 Circle of Change First Generation Student Career Leadership Experience this April 14th – 16th in Miami, Florida.
Over three days, first-generation students will not only hear from dynamic keynote speakers, career/leadership coaches, and professionals from top-tier organizations in South Florida, but they will engage in a specially designed program that will help them position themselves for career leadership success after graduation.
Some of the amazing speakers, career/leadership coaches, and panelists will focus on:
- Helping students engage in career exploration as well as self-awareness assessments and activities that will help them determine the career path that is most aligned with them when they graduate from college.
- Assisting students in developing a career map that consists of a strategic action plan that outlines the specific milestones that must accomplished to position themselves for career success after graduation.
- Teaching students how to create a professional brand, develop an elevator pitch, network with others, build positive relationships; with other professionals within their area of expertise, and establish a networking database.
- Providing students with more knowledge about Linkedin so that they can discover how to utilize this powerful platform and position themselves for future career leadership success.
- Empowering students with information that will help them learn how to find an internship, maximize that experience, and use it as a launching pad for future career success.
- Developing the financial insight that is needed to position themselves for financial success as a professional after graduation.
- Help student learn how to write a resume, research organizations that align with professional aspirations, interview effectively, and negotiate their salary.
- Create the resiliency, self-care, and emotional intelligence skills that are needed to navigate and overcome the different challenges that exist within their area of expertise.
- Assist students in the process of increasing their leadership capacity and building the leadership skills that are needed to thrive and succeed as a leader within their area of expertise.
For more information on this transformational career leadership experience for first generation students visit https://www.firstgencareerconference.com
First-Generation Graduate Student Symposium
Engaging First-gen Graduate and Professional Students
On Friday, February 24, current first-gen graduate students will convene virtually for an afternoon of tailored professional development and networking at the 6th Annual First-Generation Graduate Student Symposium.
Sessions will address the scholarly writing process, personal branding, negotiation, financial literacy, and much more.
Find more information about the schedule of events here The 6th Annual First-Generation Graduate Student Symposium | Newbury Center.
2022
Texas A&M First-Gen Celebration
The TAMU School of Pharmacy extends an invitation annually for all first-gen students, faculty, and staff to join the Texas A&M First-Gen Celebration! As a First-Forward Institution, TAMU commits to advancing educational outcomes for first-gen students at Texas A&M.
The National First-Generation College Celebration Day takes place on November 8 th annually. All week long, the Offices of Student Affairs and Student Success celebrates our first generation students and college members on campus and within our social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
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The week of November 8-12, the School of Pharmacy, along with other Texas A&M colleges, celebrated first-generation students. We are proud to celebrate first-generation or first-in-college students! First-generation college students are defined as students who are the first in their immediate family (excluding siblings) to attend college to pursue a four-year or advanced degree. While many students encounter diverse challenges when adjusting to college life, first-generation students are more likely to experience greater challenges as they have not been exposed to a college-going culture at home. At the Texas A&M Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy, we are committed to helping the future health care professionals of tomorrow build confidence in themselves and their personal abilities, welcoming them into our Aggie Pharmily, and providing the resources and support needed to be successful in their endeavors. The School of Pharmacy currently has 42% of students who identify as first-generation. Organized by the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Student Success, the event happened on both of our campuses, with technology linking the two together. Esteemed speakers, Dean Waer from the School of Medicine, and Dean August from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences spoke to students about their experiences as #FirstGen students. School of Pharmacy first-generation student testimonials were also shared on social media throughout the week. Read all of our first-generation testimonials here: https://pharmacy.tamu.edu/first-gen/testimonials.html To view 2022 First Generation Ceremony Pictures, click here. |
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Dr. John August, BVETMED, MS, MRCVS |
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Amy Waer, MD, FACS, |
2021
First-Gen Leadership Experience
The School of Pharmacy sponsored 5 selected first generation students to attend the 2021 First Annual Circle of Change First Generation Student Virtual Career Leadership Experience on April 9-10. This opportunity was designed to be a transformational experience to support leadership within the first generation community.
Aisha Landeros is a current P3 student who was selected to attend this conference. Below she describes her experience.
"I received some incredibly valuable advice and made plenty of great connections over LinkedIn! At this point in the journey of obtaining my PharmD among the pandemic, I was feeling drained after having finished roughly half of my education in an online space, with such a large workload expected of me, motivation to keep reaching above and beyond for leadership opportunities, and ultimately opportunities for self-growth, was getting daunting to say the least. Within this conference it was refreshing to be reminded that this is something that I’m trailblazing for my family and legacy, that imposter syndrome is something very normal and that there are strategies to curb that sensation, and to find solace in my peers who are going through the same experience to make better outcomes for themselves and their families. They called attention to the fact that the people in my family worked in fields, survived pesticides and poverty for me to be able to give this environment all of the effort I have to give, and I’m grateful to have been reminded. The panels consisted of successful leaders and first generation students themselves, which covered topics such as: how to self-motivate, how to handle financial struggles and best prepare ourselves for paying for school, and how to network in the digital age for career success, which I found most useful as a graduate student."
Texas A&M First-Gen Celebration
The TAMU School of Pharmacy extends an invitation annually for all first-gen students, faculty, and staff to join the Texas A&M First-Gen Celebration! As a First-Forward Institution, TAMU commits to advancing educational outcomes for first-gen students at Texas A&M. The National First-Generation College Celebration Day takes place on November 8 th annually. All week long, the Offices of Student Affairs and Student Success celebrates our first generation students and college members on campus and within our social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
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The week of November 8-12, the School of Pharmacy, along with other Texas A&M colleges, celebrated first-generation students. We are proud to celebrate first-generation or first-in-college students! First-generation college students are defined as students who are the first in their immediate family (excluding siblings) to attend college to pursue a four-year or advanced degree. The School of Pharmacy currently has 37% of students who identify as first-generation. During the first day of the weeklong celebration, the college celebrated first-gen Aggies with an event focused on sharing candid conversations about what it means to be a first-generation student. Hosted by the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Student Success, esteemed guests, who were fellow first-generation students, spoke to students on both campuses. Students also had the opportunity to share their stories. In Kingsville, Dr. Michael Muniz, '12, Pharmacist and President of the Board of Directors for the Texas Pharmacy Association, spoke on the importance of continuing education. Drawing from his own experiences, he encouraged students to find sources of motivation and to never stop learning. He said that while it won’t always be easy, it will be worth it. In College Station, Dr. Eli Jones, Professor of Marketing and former Dean of the Mays Business School, encouraged students to think of their "why," when navigating difficult times. He advised students to look for mentors, to never give up and to not quit "five minutes before your miracle." Throughout the rest of the week, students were encouraged to participate in events at the main campus, including panel discussions and a gallery walk. Dean Reddy, who is a first-generation student himself, was featured on a poster in the gallery walk in the Memorial Student Center. His story was also featured by the Texas A&M Office for Student Success. School of Pharmacy first-generation student testimonials were also shared on social media throughout the week. Read all of our first-generation testimonials here: https://pharmacy.tamu.edu/first-gen/testimonials.html To view 2021 First Generation Ceremony Pictures, click here. |
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Dr. Michael Muniz, '12, |
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Dr. Eli Jones, |
2020
Texas A&M First-Gen Celebration
In Fall 2020, the students were invited alongside main campus as they hosted a series of virtual events and activities for faculty, staff, and students as well as recognizing events taking place elsewhere in the university and across the country. The full list of events and activities can be found at: FirstGenCelebration2020.Here are some activities and events that took place to highlight:
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First-Gen Virtual Background
- Students, faculty, and staff were encouraged to use our first-gen celebration virtual background to show your first-generation pride or support in 2020 leading up to November 8th (National First-Generation Celebration Day)
- First-Gen student were encouraged to write a Thank You Letter to Someone Who has Supported You - More Details
- Students were invited to attend a Career Center Workshop tailored for First-Generation Students:
- Resume Workshop
- Interview Skills
- Professionalism 101