Two hundred incoming freshmen gathered at Fresno State’s Satellite Student Union a week ahead of the fall semester; all of them excited, nervous and on track to be the first in their families to earn college degrees.
Without family experience to lean into, many first-generation students face hardships when navigating their college experience. At Fresno State this is a reality for a large portion of the student body, as first-generation students make up over 60% of all enrolled students.
The university has taken steps to ease the transition into college life for incoming Bulldogs, especially first-generation students, through the creation of the Bulldog Bound guaranteed admissions program in 2023 and LaunchPad: Bulldog Bound Freshman Success Camp this year.
Hosted on campus in partnership with Fresno Unified School District, LaunchPad is a week-long immersive orientation designed to supplement students’ experience in Bulldog Bound and support their holistic wellbeing, offering opportunities to explore campus, connect with university resources and build relationships with classmates and mentors, including:
- Meeting one-on-one with financial aid and academic counselors to create personalized academic and financial success plans.
- Enrolling in a one-unit course designed specifically for the camp and taught by Learning Center staff, centered on topics such as time management, study strategies and digital literacy.
- Participating in team-building activities with fellow students and Fresno State staff and faculty at the EDGE Ropes Course, Valley Children’s Stadium and Wonder Valley Outdoor Education Center.
- Connecting with a peer mentor who will continue to guide them over the course of their first year on campus.
“We are excited to introduce this new and impactful program designed to support the transition of incoming freshmen into college life,” said Ruby Sangha-Rico, interim associate vice president for Student Success Services at Fresno State. “This free, five-day camp aims to provide our newest Bulldogs with the tools, information and confidence needed to succeed at Fresno State.”
Additionally, all LaunchPad participants received a free iPad and a scholarship to help with the cost of their first semester.
Recognizing the start of a student’s college journey may lead to a period of transition and growth for their entire family, LaunchPad invited parents and guardians to campus as well, offering time to learn how to best support their students and take an active role in their education.
“Our first-generation students want to earn a degree and create a secure future for themselves,” said Martina Granados, interim associate vice president of Strategic Enrollment Management at Fresno State. “They also are very eager to support their families and create generational change, for their families and also the communities they were a part of growing up.”
Meet a few of the students who participated in LaunchPad and spoke about their dreams for college and beyond.Â
Gabriela Melchor (construction management)
With a lot of hands-on building experience from a career technical education pathway class at Fresno High School, Gabriela Melchor wanted to pursue a construction management degree. Her class toured Fresno State, and she found herself questioning if going into a male-dominated field was the right choice, but a few encouraging words from a female student reassured her that “girls are here to get the work done.”
Now into her first semester on campus, Melchor has found herself using resources she learned about during LaunchPad, including tutoring sessions at the Learning Center. She said, “My future is in my hands now. I was nervous about that, but Fresno State has made me so confident. The resources and people, the community here makes me less scared. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Jasmin Pacheco Reyes (English literature)
Inspired by her older sister, a first-generation student attending UC Berkeley, Jasmin Pacheco Reyes decided she also wanted to earn a college degree and took steps to do so beginning in her freshman year at Edison High School, where she joined Fresno State’s Upward Bound program. Through Upward Bound, Pacheco Reyes received mentorship, participated in workshops for personal and academic growth and discovered her passion for community service.
Pacheco Reyes recalled wrapping toys for a community toy drive, saying, “I’m thankful for what I have, and thinking of my parents as kids, knowing they couldn’t have everything because of their situation, knowing there are kids out there like that, I want to be able to help. I want to see a huge smile on their faces.” During LaunchPad, Pacheco Reyes toured the Richter Center, a hub for community service opportunities. She hopes to find like-minded people and new opportunities to grow her impact on the community through college and into her career as an educator.Â
Giovanni (Gio) Hall (criminology-law enforcement)
For some students like Gio Hall, LaunchPad was a “heartwarming” experience. A graduate of Hoover High School, Hall knew since he was young he wanted to become a police officer and participated in ride-alongs before starting college. “I really loved it,” he said. “It’s fun to drive [and] rush toward something that’s going on, wanting to help out. I couldn’t ask for more.” Hall appreciated LaunchPad offered opportunities for him to begin refining skills he would use throughout college and in his career while he strives to eventually become a detective. He sees opportunity to work on skills like communication, collaboration and the ability to adapt to people with backgrounds different from his own.
LaunchPad also gave Hall the opportunity to experience campus culture for the first time. He recalled learning to connect and lean on peers for support as well as professional staff members, saying, “Everyone always wants to uplift one another. It warms my heart.”Â
Alana Plum (liberal studies)
Alana Plum always pictured herself at Fresno State; growing up hearing stories about her mom’s time as a Bulldog, she wanted the same experiences. For Plum, a Bullard High School graduate, joining Bulldog Bound and participating in LaunchPad was natural and without question. But when it was time to transition into college life, Plum still found herself nervous. LaunchPad helped to ease those nerves. Plum said, “At the end, I felt like a weight was lifted. I learned so much about others, myself, the whole school, and I was feeling very accomplished, comfortable and ready for school to start.” Plum plans to become an elementary school teacher, to have the same positive impact on children that she experienced from her own teachers.
She has already secured a part-time job in Fresno Unified School District, working with children through an afterschool program. She said, “I hope Fresno State changes me, making me a better person for the community. I feel like this is my calling, and I’m very passionate about it.”
The LaunchPad program was made possible, in part, with the generous support of community partners, including Education Employees Credit Union, Pacific Service Credit Union, Palazzo at Campus Pointe and University Place Apartments.
To learn more about LaunchPad and Bulldog Bound programming, contact Fresno State Recruitment at 559.278.2048 or visit the website.Â
