♪ >> First Generation students or first jin's are undergraduates whose parents did not complete a four-year college or university degree.

The University of Kentucky is celebrating them in a big way this week.

The first Generation College celebration includes a range of events meant to lift up in connect first generation students and to bring awareness to resources available on campus.

>> From social mixers to resource fairs to glow in the dark.

Bingo, you case first generation student services team is going all out to celebrate First Gen students this week.

These students can have a hard time finding each other at a large school like UK, a program advisor Kayla Gill says there are a growing demographic on campus.

First in here, make that one-third of every incoming class.

So it's growing as our incoming classes are also growing.

We have a very diverse group.

The first incident here.

>> We get a lot of business in state.

A lot of viral Eastern Kentucky students as well as other urban areas.

We get a lot of Louisville freshman student.

>> The first generation college celebration is a fun way to recognize the achievements of this community of students.

But it's also an important opportunity to connect for students with resources they may not know exist.

Sometimes what we see is that those who went to college, their parents speak that curriculum to them.

So you know how to navigate you know, had to talk to professors after class.

>> You know, to join a sorority or fraternity because that something that you've been exposed to some time with their first incident who don't have that same exposure.

They still trying to nab the navigate those things by themselves.

And so we've got that the hidden curriculum, Nadia Rosales is a first generation student studying psychology.

She says asking for help is one of the hardest part of being First Gen.

I feel like a lot of first generation students feel the need to do everything by themselves.

>> We're not really open to asking for help or advice because we feel like everybody else already is a couple steps ahead of us.

I really struggled with that from my freshman and sophomore year.

It was only until junior year.

It actually did start asking for help.

And I found myself actually feeling lighter, feeling like I'm more prepared for my career in the future choices that I make.

>> Apart from this week's celebration, the first Generation student services team works year-round to support students from orientation week all the way to graduation.

>> We have faced in week, but we also start off the year with like are living learning community just for first in students where we have them here are out and they're able to connect with peers and also have programming.

We also do things with studying in steady resources.

We have learning labs, this student skin.

You can check out and also like study group's right.

And so we think a lot about the 4 you fully experience for students and really digging into what they need.

And one of the best decisions that I have made in college is going to integrate its success.

Coaching.

>> So that's where they specifically have like one on one talks to students and they help you with many parts of your college life, whether that's like person on our academic or even just like figuring out career choices, it very much help me figure out what exactly I wanted.

I felt like just having someone that's a knowledgeable about college life really made me feel comfortable integrating myself into like UK specifically most of the First Gen Student services team have a personal connection to their work.

>> They were first generation students as well.

They say the celebration isn't just a way for the students to connects to peers and resources.

It also gives them a glimpse into their future.

>> I hope that they take away that they have seen they are heard and they are valued here, the institution, but also just want them to know that they are supporting everything that they do and that there are those of us like me here at the institution where first team and have a strong success story and know that they can be them.

Also for Kentucky edition, I'm MacKenzie Spank.

The first Generation celebration week is every year and usually close to national First Generation College celebration Day.

>> This year it was November.