GMercyU was selected for the FirstGen Forward Network Class of 2026, a national initiative that helps colleges and universities strengthen experiences and outcomes for first-generation students. Learn more!
Griffin Scholars Program (GSP)
Are you an incoming first-year student? Apply to GSP here!
The Griffin Scholars Program (GSP) connects incoming first-year students with faculty and staff for intentional support, guidance, and perspective for their first two years on campus.
This program therefore centers the experience of first-year students who are underrepresented and first-gen. The program begins with a welcome reception in the fall and continues throughout the year with monthly events (either as a large group or as mentee/mentor meetings) to help students thrive socially and academically.
We seek applicants who are interested in and committed to the GSP community. All Griffins are welcome to apply during the summer prior to the new academic year. To learn more, contact Tatiana Diaz, Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at diaz.t@gmercyu.edu.
SOAR: An Optional Pre-Orientation Program
Student Opportunities for Access and Resilience (SOAR) is an optional pre-orientation program supporting first-generation students. All incoming Griffins are welcome to apply!
- Learn strategies for navigating college life and accessing resources to support academic and personal success
- Connect with your built-in support system so you don’t have to figure it all out on your own
- Gain confidence and prepare for a successful transition to college
- First-come, first-served — sign up today!
Please note that SOAR does not replace New Student Orientation. Think of SOAR as an added bonus to Orientation weekend.
What does SOAR look like?
- The SOAR pre-orientation program check-in begins at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 27. The program runs from 9:30am to 2:00pm.
- Residential students will move in early on Wednesday, August 26, 2026. (You must be cleared through housing to move in early.)
- Commuter students will join us on Thursday, August 27 at check-in.
You belong here. SOAR is here to make sure you know it. We encourage you to let us know you’re interested right away!
Questions? If you have any questions, please contact Daniela Wexler at wexler.d@gmercyu.edu.
Griffin Connections Mentorship Program
The Griffin Connections Mentorship Program is a mission-centered effort to connect faculty and staff with small cohorts of selected 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.
The Collective Success Network
GMercyU has a partnership with this Philadelphia-based nonprofit, which supports first-generation and/or low-income college students to achieve their academic and career aspirations. All first-gen GMercyU students can take advantage of CSN’s empowering mentorships, professional development, and leadership opportunities.
Annual First-Generation College Celebration
To coincide with the nationwide First-Generation College Celebration every November, GMercyU holds special events to honor their first-gen students. The events even include faculty and staff professional development to support first-gen student success.
Being a first-generation college student brings both significant challenges and triumphs. This role often requires a more strategic approach to achieve the same goals as my peers, who typically have greater familiarity with the collegiate experience and more resources than I do. However, being a first-generation student also means I am pioneering change in my family; although this responsibility is heavy, it is also empowering... I am proud to say I am a first-generation college student!
—Shyanne Melendez '26, Biology, Philosophy
Tri-Alpha Honor Society
Recognizing 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 about the inaugural class, including graduates from the Class of 2024, here.
First-Generation Resource Group for Faculty & Staff
The mission of this group is to support first-generation faculty and staff emotionally, socially, and intellectually. Their success helps ensure that our population remains diverse and rich in experiences, knowledge, culture, and thought.
This group also holds events for our first-generation students, where they can get to know each other and discuss the unique experience that is being the first in your family to come to college, in addition to sharing strategies for success.
My parents were hard-working and blue collar. My mom’s greatest joy was seeing both of her daughters achieve a college degree. To help influence and shape my students today is truly one of the most rewarding aspects of my nursing career. I can spot the passion and determination in students who have fought hard to sit in my classroom.
—Maria C. Jordan MSN, RN, Nursing Instructor
Because my parents had not attended college, I sometimes think the range of possibilities was somewhat narrowed for me and my siblings, but I was fortunate to be one of the younger children in the family, so there was a 'roadmap' provided by my older brothers and sisters. One thing I noticed in other people with college-educated parents is the broader view of possible career opportunities that they held as they went through college. As such, I try to convey the widest range of possible career options to students I work with at GMercyU.
—Patrick McAleer, EdD, Certification and Placement Specialist and Adjunct Professor, Education programs