First Gen Proud Essay Contest

The Department of English and First Gen Proud are delighted to announce this year’s First Gen Proud Essay Contest!

A first-generation student is someone whose parents/guardians did not complete a four-year college degree or a student raised by a single parent/guardian who did not complete a four-year college. (https://www.ucollege.txst.edu/first-gen-proud/)

This contest showcases the achievements of our first-generation students at all stages of their academic careers. We invite first-generation students to submit short personal essays that respond to the following prompt:

What does First Gen Proud mean to you? What makes you proud to be a first-generation college student? What strengths do you have as a first-gen student and how have your experiences supported your academic career?

Essay submissions should be between 500-700 words. Submissions will be blind reviewed by faculty judges from the Department of English and First Gen Proud. $200 prizes will be awarded across three submission categories: a freshman/sophomore category, a junior/senior category, and a graduate student category. Honorable mentions in the undergraduate categories will receive $100.

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, March 20, 2024