Students sitting together at a picnic table.

First-generation students are the first in their families to attend a four-year college.

As a first-generation student at Middlebury College, you have the opportunity to join the First-Gen Experience, aimed at supporting your academic, professional, and social success.

The First-Gen Experience

The First-Gen Experience offers resources, support, and events to support the success of First-Gen students. Our programming promotes community and ensures retention to the sophomore year and persistence to graduation. 

Annual events and programs include the following:

First-Gen Graduation Celebration

We like to celebrate our graduating class of First-Generation students with an end-of-year dinner and ceremony specifically for them. During the celebration, we honor each individual graduating senior by having them share their personal triumphs. The graduating seniors are also given 1st generation tassel keepsakes, small graduation tokens, and first generation stoles that they can wear at graduation in honor of all that they have accomplished as the first in their families to graduate college.

Anderson Freeman Resource Center
Carr Hall
452 College Street
Middlebury, VT 05753