A workshop on environmental equity, a research showcase, carnival, and a date with a first-gen author are among the events planned for Washington State University’s First-Gen Celebration, Nov. 2-13, 2026.
Celebratory events are planned on the WSU Pullman, Everett, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver campuses. Visit the First-Generation Celebration webpage for a full list of activities, dates, and locations.
Cori Jaeger, first generation student services manager on the Pullman campus, said many of the events in Pullman are designed to address career development and the strengths first-gen students bring to WSU such as resiliency, adaptability, hard work ethic, and community mindedness.
The events and activities, Jaeger said, will be a great opportunity for first-gen students to connect with faculty and staff mentors, resources, and just have fun.
“First-gen students are often leaders within their families and communities, which can be a lot of pressure, but it is also a powerful thing,” Jaeger said. “We want to celebrate that they have stepped out into this unknown world, are making it happen here, and it has a ripple effect on their families.”
Resilience is a superpower
As part of the festivities, Kyle Funakoshi, chief advancement officer for the National Forest Foundation, helped organize a career and leadership series that will examine getting into the C-suite with the Academic Success and Career Center, using journalism in any career with the Murrow College of Communication, and careers in forestry, public lands, and environmental equity with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences.
Funakoshi served as a retention specialist in WSU’s Multicultural Student Services (MSS) early in his career, and as a first-gen student himself, he can relate to the challenges first-gen students face.
“Their resilience is a superpower, and one that shapes how I lead today,” Funakoshi said. “I look forward to sharing my journey and reminding students that the resourcefulness, determination, and perspective they bring are strengths that can carry us further than we can imagine.”
Funakoshi will give a keynote address during the First-Generation Celebration Brunch, Nov. 3, 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., in the Compton Union Building Junior Ballroom in Pullman. The brunch is free and people are asked to RSVP at first@wsu.edu.
Leaving a legacy
Two first-gen students who have made the most of their time at WSU are seniors Lesley Valdovinos-Arevalo and Isaac-Jacob Sanchez. Valdovinos-Arevalo graduated from a small high school in Bridgeport, Wash., where her dad helps irrigate the orchards and she has worked sorting cherries. She said agriculture runs in her blood and the reason why she came to WSU to study human nutrition and food systems.
Valdovinos-Arevalo said coming from a high school graduating class of 36 students to a biology class of 400 students at WSU was a shock at first and she felt out of place. It was the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) that helped her get her bearings and opened her eyes to the many resources and opportunities available to first-gen students.
She jumped right in by getting involved in the Latin-based sorority Gamma Alpha Omega, Inc. and now serves as its president. During her time at WSU she has been a CAHNRS ambassador, a Team Mentoring Program mentor, a TRIO Student Support Services scholar, and a TRIO McNair Scholar.
“I tell other first-gen students that you have to take that first step out of your comfort zone, and from there, everything will fall into place,” Valdovinos-Arevalo said. “There are a lot of people here who want to see us succeed and are here to support us.”
Sanchez found evidence of that support when he first arrived on campus from California. He reached out to the Filipino American Student Association (FASA) and some of its members helped show him around campus. Those students eventually became his mentors, and they not only encouraged him to get involved in FASA, but many other groups as well.
During Sanchez’ time at WSU he has served as a mentor in the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Student Center, an officer for the Asian Pacific American Student Coalition, helped found the Asian-interest fraternity Alpha Theta Tau, Inc., and has worked for TRIO Support Services and the First-Generation Student Center.
“By coming to a smaller community like WSU, I felt it is a place where I could make a difference and leave a legacy,” Sanchez said. “I fell in love with this school and I want to be that person that helps other first-gen students fall in love with it, too.”
