Gwynedd Mercy University recently welcomed its newest cohort of the Griffin Scholars Program (GSP) at a reception in Assumption Hall.
This is the second year for GSP, which connects incoming first-year students who are underrepresented and first-generation with faculty and staff for intentional support, guidance, and perspective for their first two years on campus. New students apply during the summer prior to the start of the new academic year.
The program begins with a welcome reception in the fall and continues throughout the year with monthly events, such as large group meetings or meetings between mentee/mentor to help students thrive socially and academically.
GMercyU is proud of its first-generation students, the first in their families to attend a four-year college or university. In fact, 58 percent of incoming undergraduate students identified as first-generation in fall 2024.
In addition to the GSP, GMercyU offers a variety of opportunities for first-generation and underrepresented students.
The Griffin Connections Mentorship Program is a mission-centered effort to connect faculty and staff with small cohorts of first-year students to strengthen their connections to GMercyU. In addition to getting to know students in a more personal way and creating a sense of belonging at GMercyU, mentors check in with their cohorts to remind them about important deadlines and facilitate support where needed.
GMercyU also has a partnership with The Collective Success Network, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that supports first-generation and/or low-income college students to achieve their academic and career aspirations. All first-gen students at GMercyU can take advantage of CSN’s empowering mentorships, professional development, and leadership opportunities.
In 2024, GMercyU added the Tri-Alpha Honor Society, which recognizes the academic accomplishments of first-generation college students. Inductees must be the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree and must be serving in higher education at the time of induction.
Learn more about first-generation student support at Gwynedd Mercy University.
