First-Gen Week event highlights resilience, belonging, and legacy-building
Presbyterian College honored its community of first-generation college students during the annual Presby First+ Pinning Ceremony on Nov. 10 in Kuhne Auditorium, marking a defining moment in the college’s celebration of First-Gen Week.
The ceremony recognized the achievements, challenges, and contributions of students who are among the first in their families to attend college.
This year’s event also acknowledged the 60th anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965, landmark legislation that opened the doors of higher education to broader communities and laid the groundwork for expanding access and opportunity across the United States.
A Community Built on Strength and Purpose
In her welcome, Tomeika Bennett, director of the Presby First+ program, emphasized that the ceremony is more than a recognition—it is a celebration of shared identity and the determination that brings students to PC.
“The Presby First+ pin represents a community connected by a common goal,” Bennett said. “Tonight is a reminder that you can do hard things, that you can navigate unfamiliar territory, because your being here already is a testament to the strength that you possess.”
Bennett also highlighted the significance of first-generation students on campus and across the state.
“In South Carolina, nearly 50 percent of undergraduate students are first-gen. At PC, one in three students is first-gen,” she said. “You all represent an incredible community of diverse learners whose lived experiences contribute to the vibrancy of Presbyterian College.”
‘You Deserve This Space’
Dr. Selena Blair, Rogers-Ingram Vice President for Justice and Community Wellbeing, offered words of encouragement rooted in her own experience as a first-generation student. For Blair, the pin symbolizes more than attendance—it symbolizes identity, pride, and perseverance.
“I want you to look at this pin as a sign of resilience. It’s a sign of determination. It’s a sign of fighting,” Blair said. “It’s a sign of breaking barriers and starting new legacies.”
Blair shared that she still experiences moments where she questions whether she belongs in professional spaces—but she reminds herself of the same truth she offered to students.
“You didn’t get here by happenstance,” she said. “You worked hard for it. You earned it. And most importantly, you deserve this space.”
She encouraged students to wear the pin with pride—not just today but on difficult days when doubt reappears.
“Our first-gen identity is not something to be ashamed of,” Blair said. “It signifies to the world that justice lives on in everything we do.”
From the Block to the Blueprint
The ceremony’s keynote address was delivered by Roderick Houston, director of student involvement at PC, who shared his journey from a young boy with big dreams to a college graduate of Lander University and higher education professional.
As a child, Houston said he once imagined only two careers for himself: a garbage truck driver and a preacher. The characters he saw on television—strong, hardworking Black men—were his role models.
“Because when you don’t see yourself represented, you start to wonder if maybe your dreams don’t belong in certain spaces either,” he said.
Houston told students that being first-generation means stepping into rooms where no one in their family has been before.
“Being a first-gen student means you are building the GPS while you’re already driving,” he said. “Where you start isn’t where you’re meant to stay.”
He then asked students to raise their hands if they were first in their family to go to college. Dozens of hands lifted across the auditorium.
“Every hand you see in the air—that’s not just a student,” he said. “That’s a legacy in motion.”
Houston went on to describe two backpacks: one filled with books, laptops, and assignments—the everyday work of college—and a second backpack filled with metaphorical bricks representing family pressure, financial stress, self-doubt, and the weight of future expectations.
But the message was not about the burden.
“You can take this backpack off and hold it as a reminder—not of pressure, but of purpose,” he said.
He reminded students that they are not meant to carry the weight alone. Faculty, staff, friends, mentors—each is there to help.
“One day,” he said, “you will hand that backpack to someone else in your family a little lighter than you found it.”
Houston ended with a declaration that echoed throughout the room:
“You are the blueprint.”
Carrying Legacy Forward
The pinning ceremony concluded with students receiving their Presby First+ pins—small symbols of strength with lifelong meaning.
As Blair encouraged: “Wear it with pride. Because the story you are writing will change your family for generations.”
