“If you look, there’s always somebody who’s willing to help you.”

-Jennifer Krulisz-Hossain ’25, MPA ’26

Jennifer Krulisz-Hossain ’25, MPA ’26, and Temera De Groot ’25 have created opportunities on campus for first-generation students like themselves to gather for social and academic fellowship and support.

De Groot and a group of fellow first-gen students last year started the First-Generation Student Association (FSA), the majority of whom participated alongside her in Connections@Clark, a program that offers leadership- and community-building opportunities for students of color.

“When I came to college, I was a little confused with the financial aspect, the academic aspect, the social aspect of college,” De Groot says. “It’s nice knowing that my group might help a student out there find their footing early on.”

De Groot, an international development major, plans to attend law school after graduation and pursue a career in immigration law. She noted the importance of mentors in her life, recalling how she was inspired in high school by a mentor who was a lawyer and who had been a first-generation student.

“The legal field is not built for people that have backgrounds like me, and that’s just the reality of it,” De Groot says. “Entering that field makes me someone who can serve as a resource for these people.”

In fall of 2022, 1Gen, a student affinity group hosted through the Office of Identity, Student Engagement, and Access (ISEA), became staff-supported and recognized. Krulisz-Hossain was named the facilitator, acting as a liaison between the program and ISEA, and assisting with programming and administration for the group. She echoes De Groot’s sentiments.

“It’s okay to acknowledge that your journey wasn’t the same as other students. We have to work harder in the sense that we might not have had the same resources available to us,” Krulisz-Hossain says. Referring to 1Gen and FSA, she adds, “If you look, there’s always somebody who’s willing to help you.”

The marketing major describes entering college as a first-generation student, but not fully knowing what that meant.

“My friends and I had always struggled together in high school, so I thought that was just the norm,” Krulisz-Hossain says. “Coming into college, I learned that that wasn’t the norm, and that people have resources, whereas I hadn’t.

“It’s nice knowing that my group might help a student out there find their footing early on.”

-Temera De Groot ’25

“1Gen became both a project and a passion. I really value this space of people coming together to share experiences.” Once she completes her master’s degree, Krulisz-Hossain aims to work in the area of corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion.

1Gen and FSA fill different niches on campus. 1Gen, which meets monthly, offers a space for first-generation students to nurture belonging and community while also providing educational resources, such as workshops and seminars. FSA, while also offering a social space, is focused on fostering professional development skills. The group meets bimonthly.

“The intersection of 1Gen and FSA helps create a groundwork for students so that they don’t have to struggle the way [Krulisz-Hossain] and I have,” De Groot says.

De Groot emphasized that FSA is open to students in the Worcester community as part of an extended plan to provide resources to first-generation students while they are still in high school to give them their best shot at college-level success.

Krulisz-Hossain and De Groot both plan to continue advocating for the interests and success of first-generation students even after they’ve left Clark.

“I’ve seen the impact of these conversations on students,” Krulisz-Hossain says. “Having the conversations at any age is a good starting point for them to feel seen and heard.”

Clark’s 4th Annual First-Gen Luncheon will be held Friday, Nov. 8, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Grace Conference Room. The event will celebrate and uplift the voices of first-gen students, faculty, staff, and alumni and create opportunities to share their stories.