Pitt-Johnstown’s FirstGen Club is celebrating First Gen Week from Nov. 7 to Nov. 11. The festivities started off on Nov. 7 with a game night at the Academic Success Center and featured a variety of backyard games, activities, and prizes, including the special event, “Pie an Officer in the Face.”

The club will also be hosting a dodgeball tournament on Friday, Nov. 11 in the Wellness Center from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This free event is open to all students, and those interested are welcome to register a team of up to eight to compete.

According to the club, “To be a first gen student simply means neither of your parents graduated from a 4-year college.” The first-generation population at UPJ represents over one third of students. However, it isn’t necessary to be a first-generation college student to join the FirstGen Club. All who support the group’s mission are welcome.

In a recent email sent to students and staff, club officials noted, “To be a First-Generation college student means so much more to each and every First Gen student. To us, it may be a sense of pride that we are able to do something that nobody else in our family has accomplished, or even that we are here to make ourselves proud, even if we don’t know how.”

To FirstGen Vice President Mariam Bangurah, the club is a safe community that helps students navigate college. “It’s all about supporting each other,” she said. “We’re always there to help. Us as officers, us as previous members, we’re there as mentors to help guide people and make sure that their college experience is comfortable and actually something worth remembering.”

Follow the club on Instagram for more details @firstgenupj