On November 8, Indiana University and its five regional campuses (East, Kokomo, Northwest, South Bend, and Southeast) will come together to commemorate national First-Generation College Celebration Day. I am not a first-generation student, but my mother and father are the first in the families to earn a college degree. My parents left the devastation of post-WWII Japan to pursue dreams of higher education in the United States and begin their journeys of socio-economic mobility and opportunity. Their courage in being “firsts,” has inspired all their children and grandchildren to pursue and attain college degrees. This is the great legacy of first-generation students, creating pathways for success for those to follow and then transcend.
These inspirational journeys can be seen and felt every day on IU’s regional campuses, where approximately one-third of our entering class is first-generation. Championing the successful socio-economic mobility of all our students - students who live, learn, and stay in our communities to support the quality of life and growth of our state - is the passionate work of our regional faculty and staff. In commemoration of First-Generation College Celebration Day, our Chancellors have written articles about their students who are “firsts,” and the great campuses they call home. The articles have been published by 11 news organizations throughout the state. Here are their stories.
Ken Iwama
Vice President for Regional Campuses and Online Education
Debbie Ford, Ph.D., Chancellor of IU Southeast 
Susan Elrod, Ph.D., Chancellor of IU South Bend 
Vicki Román-Lagunas, Ph.D., Interim Chancellor of IU Northwest 
Mark Canada, Ph.D., Chancellor of IU Kokomo 
Dennis Rome, Ph.D., Chancellor of IU East