First Generation Archives | Giving to Cornell

First-generation alumna extends a helping hand to first-gen students

Yahlin Chang ’89 was born in Taipei. When she was a young child, her father moved to Williamsport, Pennsylvania to join his extended family. He was a chef and worked in a Chinese restaurant owned by a family friend. Once their father was financially secure, Yahlin and her sister joined their father in Williamsport. It … Read the full story

By Linda Copman October 9, 2024

Three new scholarships focus on first-generation students

A gift from Mark DeAngelis ’91, MPA ’92 and Carmen Molinos ’94 will establish three endowed undergraduate scholarship funds intended to support first-generation students in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, the College of Human Ecology, and the ILR School. Their gift will also establish an endowed graduate scholarship fund to support … Read the full story

By Starr Todd August 29, 2022

Alejandra Rebeca Gonzalez ’23 is off to a running start

Alejandra Rebeca Gonzalez ’23 was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and raised in Michigan. Her family moved to the US when she was five years old in search of “a safer life” and better opportunities for education, she explains. Gonzalez is a first-year student in the College of Human Ecology (CHE). She is also … Read the full story

By Linda Copman January 20, 2020

Bryan Scanapieco ’19: No regrets

Bryan Scanapieco, a first-generation student in the College of Arts and Sciences, began his Cornell career intending to study physics. His high school physics teacher inspired him to enroll in physics for three of his four years of high school. He also encouraged Bryan to apply to top-tier schools, including Cornell. Scanapieco’s mother moved to … Read the full story

By Linda Copman April 9, 2019