Please consider nominating first-generation undergraduate and graduate students for this campus-wide award.
The First-Generation Student Achievement Award honors one first-generation undergraduate student and one graduate or professional first-generation college student. This award recognizes exceptional students who have pursued and met ambitious goals and/or made notable achievements while enrolled at the University of Iowa, demonstrated commitment to academic excellence, and created pathways for or inspired other first-generation students to also excel at the University of Iowa. Recipients of the award will be honored in March during the annual 1stGen@Iowa Awards and Recognition Ceremony.
Nomination Instructions:
First-Generation College Student Definition:
First-generation college students are students who do not have a parent(s) or legal guardian(s) who completed a four-year degree. See https://firstgen.uiowa.edu/about for more information.
Eligibility for Award:
- All current UI first-generation undergraduate, graduate, and professional students
- Two awards will be given - one to a UI undergraduate student and one to a UI graduate or professional student
Who May Nominate:
- Any current UI student or faculty or staff member may make a nomination.
Deadline:
- Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2025.
Nomination Materials:
To nominate a student for this award, submit each of the materials listed below. Please note, this nomination requires two participants -- one to submit the form (primary nominator) and one to provide an additional letter of support that is attached to the nomination form.
- Nomination Form: The primary nominator completes the online nomination form (available 11/4), addressing the following questions (2,000 character limit per question):
- What ambitious goals and/or notable achievements has the nominee accomplished while enrolled as a student at the University of Iowa?
- How has the nominee demonstrated commitment to academic excellence in all their collegiate endeavors?
- In what ways has the nominee created pathways for or inspired other first-generation students to also excel at the University of Iowa?
- Letter of Support: Include one letter of support, provided by someone (current UI student or faculty or staff member) other than the primary nominator, that also specifically addresses each of the three bulleted questions listed above. The letter of support is limited to two pages; no more than one letter will be accepted. The letter of support must be uploaded to the online nomination form at the time of submission.
Selection Process:
A committee of four persons composed of 1stGen@Iowa Faculty & Staff Collaborative members and 1stGen@Iowa Student Advisory Board members will review the nominations according to the criteria outlined in the above nomination materials.
Timeline:
- Nomination Form Opens: Monday, November 4, 2024
- Nomination Submission Deadline: Friday, January 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
- Recipients notified in February 2025 and awards presented in March 2025.
Contact:
Please contact Angie Lamb (angela-lamb@uiowa.edu) with questions.
Note: This memo was also published on November 20, December 11, 2024, and January 15, 2025.