The Office of First-Generation Student Success

In today’s episode of Did You Know, The UofM also has a First-Generation Honors Society RSO called Alpha Alpha Alpha. This RSO (registered student org) has meetings and events such as the Senior Pinning Ceremony in April and all members upon graduation also receive a special honors cord. To be eligible, you must have earned at least 30 credit hours AND achieved an overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.

Did you know we have a Registered Student Organization (RSO) for all first-generation Tigers at the UofM? Anyone can join-graduate or undergraduate. Look for their table at the Involvement Fair during Welcome Week and find the organization online in TigerZone to keep up to date with their future meetings and events once the semester starts.

We are so thankful to know Dainymar and see all the amazing work she does every day for the community.

I'm working as the Raiz Program Coordinator. This program is designed to breakdown the barriers between language and healthcare across the state. We advocate for the access to the healthcare, no matter what. I help people to have medical appointments, I teach people about reproductive rights, s*x education, and more.

Have questions, need a place to hang out with other first-gen students or do you just need a little help unpacking the college experience? If the first week has you feeling a little overwhelmed, we are here whenever you’re ready! Visit the link in our profile or below to fill out a contact form. We can’t wait to hear from you💙
https://www.memphis.edu/firstgen

Did you know the Office of First-Generation Student Success (OFGSS) accepts donations every day for the OFGSS Career Closet? If you or someone you know has items of professional attire in gently used to new condition, please come by drop them off in one of our two locations in Mitchell Hall 301 or the UofM InfoHub at 3641 Central Ave.

From studying Biology on campus to doing the work across the nation. We are proud of you Kameron!

I work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to locate orphan oil and gas wells in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Orphan wells lack records regarding their owners, locations, and/or condition at abandonment. My responsibility is to locate these orphan wells using geographical information systems (GIS), satellite, and aerial imagery technologies in my office and coordinate with field crews on refuges to locate and remediate these wells. This work is essential in preventing environmental degradation on public land and globally due to oil spills and/or gas emissions.

Big shoutout and thank you to and their generous donors for bringing by wagonloads of items for the Office of First-Gen Career Closet today. It’s wonderful to see the Memphis community join our mission and recognize our “Why,” which is first foremost always our students

Did we mention we will have a mechanical shark at the Jaws Pool Party? Time to become a legend and tame the shark, join us on Aug 23rd at the Outdoor Pool and sun deck. Tiger Jaws t-shirts available to the first 150 students (sizes and supplies are limited so first come, first served) UofM Campus Recreation

Brookelynn did so well on campus as a student, she had to come back and show others the way Proud of you, Brookelynn!

As an Academic Advisor I at the University of Memphis, I provide effective, personalized, accurate, and developmental advising to all undergraduate students who are: undecided about their major, pursing pre-nursing as a major, taking pre-major courses, or exploring alternate majors.

I am committed to my students' academic success by facilitating their transition to the University, assisting them in exploring and achieving their educational goals, conveying accurate information regarding University requirements and majors, and referring students to appropriate campus resources.

My ultimate goal is to give back to the University that gave so much to me! I strive to build positive relationships with my students while empowering them to make decisions and supporting their academic successes.

Dusty is the definition of success formed straight out of hard work and perseverance. We continue to be proud of your hard work and commitment to serving others!

I have just been named the Assistant Band Director at Adamsville High School where I will be assisting with the high school band and the bands at Michie Elementary and Adamsville Jr. High. As the assistant band director, I will be helping the head director with various tasks throughout the year. During the fall, we will be in marching band season, which consists of afternoon rehearsals, football games, and competitions. I will be helping to arrange and coordinate music for the ensemble. During the winter and spring, we transform into a concert band and perform various types of music. University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music

It's OFFICIAL! Your UofM Tigers are now FirstGen Forward Network Champions!

There are 429 institutions of higher education in the FirstGen Forward Network and only 14 were selected to become Network Champions. As part of this exclusive group of 14 institutions, the University of Memphis Office now serves as a national leader in advancing efforts and contributing to an important knowledge base of evidence-based practices, leadership engagement, and scaling student supports. These universities also have the honor of being the first of the 429 institutions of to achieve Network Champion status. Congratulations, and thank you for your dedication to first-generation student success! See the full list of new Network Champions at bit.ly/46DvMtK.

Courtney puts the First Scholars Pay-it-Forward mentality to work every day! Thank you for all you continue to do for others and your community, Courtney. University of Memphis Loewenberg College of Nursing

After college, I took a job with Indian Health Services working as a labor and delivery nurse on the Ship Rock, New Mexico Navajo reservation. I am currently a nurse at Shelby County's R**e Crisis Center and also a labor and delivery nurse at Methodist Germantown. I am currently in school pursing a Master's Degree to become a Women's Health Nurse practitioner and am expected to graduate in December 2025!

Paging Dr. Segura! It is wonderful to see Oscar doing something he loves and also something that he has worked so hard to accomplish. We stay proud of you, Oscar!

After graduating from the University of Memphis with my bachelor's in biological sciences, I completed medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. I then moved to Nashville for my residency training in Internal Medicine at TriStar Centennial. In my final year of residency, I was selected to serve as Chief Resident for the Internal Medicine program which is a role I am honored and thankful to have served in. I also married my high school sweetheart on 10/07/2023, Morgan is my greatest supporter and I am incredibly grateful to be her husband. We are both excited to be completing our residency in June and moving back to West Tennessee to be closer to our family. In this final stretch of my journey into medicine, I have accepted an attending position at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. I look forward to serving the city of Jackson, TN, and the surrounding areas!

Our Opportunity Scholars continue to impress and succeed wherever the go! We are so proud of you, Jonathan! UofM College of Health Sciences

I am currently completing the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Belmont University. During my time, I have been fortunate enough to gain experience in many orthopedic and sports settings, such as University of Georgia Football. Physical therapists are licensed doctors who are experts in movement and body mechanics. We examine, treat, and prevent movement dysfunctions in a variety of settings, including outpatient and inpatient treatment centers. We use research, hands-on therapy, and therapeutic exercises to ultimately improve the human experience while using a patient's values to help them reach their goals. I plan on starting my career in Memphis, TN with a focus in sports and performance!

We’re all in the same boat so come out and get to know your Tiger fam! Join us poolside for this event and let’s kick off a new semester with some music, dancing, snacks, Jaws/Tiger swag, a mechanical ride-on shark, and a Jawsome Movie Night!

Continuing to do big things! We are so proud of you Carina ❤️

I am currently a Sr. Specialist at ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where I oversee our partnership with the Rock 'n' Roll Running Series. My role involves developing strategic plans, coordinating our engagement, and working closely with our team and territory offices. This position allows me to travel across the country, participate in diverse running events, and connect with athletes who are dedicated to the St. Jude mission. On my days off, you'll find me practicing yoga, admiring art, or exploring new dessert shops.

Loving how many entrepreneurs we are also seeing out of our Opportunity Scholars and First Scholars family. Congratulations Manny! Fogelman College of Business and Economics

I'm currently the owner and operator of ACE1 Roofing & Construction. I have been working on growing the company and creating relationships with the community.

What isn't there to be proud of when it comes to our First Scholars Alumni? Go Tigers Go!!!

I work 24-hour shifts responding to all 911 calls for the municipality I serve over the span of the 24-hour shift. Calls ranging from medical calls, car wrecks, fires, rescue situations, and any natural disasters that occur in my municipality. I am trained in fire suppression tactics, I old a paramedic license in which I take care of patients and transport them to our local ERs via ambulance and I have a handful of technical rescue certifications. We help educate the public and local schools on fire safety and life-saving skills. we work 24-hour shifts consisting of 3 shifts in a set with a day off in between work days following 4 days off after a working set

Our Opportunity Scholars alumni continue to impress us every day!

I am furthering my education at one of the only surgical Physician Assistant programs in the nation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I currently serve as the co-chair of AAPA Diversity & Inclusion in our program. Upon graduation, I will be able to work in any specialty I desire. As of now, I hope to potentially specialize in vascular surgery or cardiology. UofM College of Health Sciences

We cannot talk enough about how proud we are of our First Scholars Alumni!

I'm currently at Hargrove Engineering and Constructions as a Workday HCM (Human Capital Management) Administrator. I'm also an Assistant Pastor at the Cambodian Baptist Church of Memphis. I'm married with twin boys who recently turned 6 months old.

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat! Save Aug. 23rd on your calendars and come celebrate, hang out, and dance the night away with our back to school pool party at the R. Brad Martin Student Wellness Center. Join the fun with all of your fellow tigers, ride a shark (mechanical-so this one doesn't bite) and catch Jaws the movie screening outside in the leisure pool

We are SO PROUD of all the cool things the alumni of our scholarship programs are doing! 💙🐯🎉 First-gen Tigers are resilient, dedicated, and on average retain a higher GPA than the average first-gen student. 🎓

I am a Business Solutions Executive at AT&T Business, focusing on Fiber Optics, Cybersecurity, and Cloud-Based solutions. My role involves expanding market share and boosting revenue in South Texas, particularly in the small business and middle-market sectors. Day-to-day, I specialize in designing tailored network solutions for businesses spanning from Houston, TX to the US/Mexico border Fogelman College of Business and Economics

🐯All summer we are checking in with the Alumni of our scholarship programs🎉 check it out! 💙

I'm at Aluma-Form as an engineer and I design products used every day in the utilities industry. I design and improve on existing products. I also test products in the lab and design fixtures needed for testing. Herff College of Engineering

Missed the Donation Drive Thru? No problem, you can still donate your items to the Career Closet!

💙 We're following our Opportunity Scholar Alumni this summer! 💙 Check this out! 🐯🎉

I am a master's student for the Masters of General Psychology at the University of Memphis but will be graduating soon. Currently, I am working for Dr. Jim Whelan's gambling lab or the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education and Research. My research is currently on "What is the Sports Wagering?" to help researchers find a coherent term and definition of what sports wagering is.

If you live in the Memphis area and are looking to unburden yourself of some gently worn business attire while giving back for best of reasons, consider the Career Closet

We make it incredibly easy, too.

1 - Gather those blouses, blazers, ties, slacks, skirts, shoes, polos, even accessories that you are ready to part with and put them in your vehicle. 👠👔👚👞👜

2 - Drive up to the Info Hub at the corner of Central Avenue and Patterson Street. 📍

3 - Pull up and pop open your vehicle trunk (or wherever your donations temporarily live). 🛻

4 - That’s it. We’ve got it from there. 💯💙🩶💙

💙 Our First Scholars Alumni are doing some AMAZING things! 🐯 Check it out 🎉🎉

I am a K8 site director for Martha O'Bryan Center. I oversee the community-based extended learning programs for k-8th grade students in the East Nashville community.

🎓 ATTENTION Graduates! 🎓

Don't forget to register via the Qualtrics link in our bio to get your First-Gen Lapel Pin! 💙 Surveys must be completed in their entirety for you to receive your pin. 🎉

💙Check out our First Scholars Alumni!!💙

I just graduated with my Masters in Occupational Therapy. I am on the hunt for my first OT job and am studying for boards. I also own Dani Marie Photography & Videography which has been a huge blessing. We love documenting those monumental moments! We specialize in wedding photography & videography but have recently enjoyed all things family and babies as we just welcomed our first baby girl into the world!