Guiding First-Gen Students From College to Career
The Boston HERC’s Alumni Success Program ensures that first-generation college (and other postsecondary) students don’t just get into college and alternative programs—they graduate, launch careers, and become agents of change in their communities.
Once our Passport to College students graduate from high school, they join the Alumni Success Program and continue receiving coaching and support throughout their postsecondary journey. Our team walks alongside them every step of the way—from navigating financial aid and selecting majors, to overcoming academic and personal challenges, to preparing for life after college.
The road to and through college is not the same for everyone.
- Nationally, only 21% of first-generation, low-income students earn a bachelor’s degree within six years.
- Students of color face persistent disparities in graduation rates and post-college job outcomes.
Black and Latino college graduates are significantly more likely to be underemployed in their first job out of college compared to white peers.
Boston HERC’s Alumni Success Program exists to change these outcomes. And we’re seeing results.
“Summer melt” refers to the phenomenon where high school graduates who intend to go to college—and often have already been accepted—fail to enroll in the fall. The reasons are often small but critical: missing a financial aid document, not completing housing forms, confusion about orientation logistics, or unexpected financial or family challenges. For first-generation students, these hurdles can feel overwhelming without the right support.
Boston HERC Coaches work intensively throughout the summer to ensure students follow through on their college plans. Through one-on-one coaching, phone calls, text reminders, and in-person meetings, Coaches help students navigate financial aid verification, resolve paperwork or housing issues, and stay emotionally prepared for the transition ahead. They also connect students to emergency resources when unexpected barriers arise.
By maintaining consistent contact from high school graduation to college matriculation, Boston HERC ensures that students don’t lose momentum during this vulnerable transition. This proactive approach helps transform college acceptance into college attendance—and ultimately, persistence and success.
1:1 Coaching and Check-Ins: Regular, personalized support from a first-generation college graduate Alumni Success Coach for students to adapt to and thrive in their college (or postsecondary environment), work on skills they need to succeed such as time or financial management, and make plans to advocate for what they need.
Academic Coaching: Students in need of ongoing academic support can access coaching through Boston HERC volunteers in areas such as advanced science and math.
Academic and Financial Aid Navigation: Help with class schedules, FAFSA renewals, scholarship searches, and more.
Connection to Campus Resources: Guidance on accessing tutoring, mental health services, and student support centers.
Persistence Planning: Strategic support for students who are transferring, taking a break, or facing uncertainty.
Emergency Support: For students encountering financial hardship, housing insecurity, or urgent needs that could derail their education.
We prepare students not just to earn a degree—but to build a meaningful life after graduation. We help them to launch careers and build their networks through:
Career Exploration Experiences
Internship and Job Opportunities
Professional Development Workshops
Alumni Network
Today, Boston HERC alumni are engineers, business and financial professionals, social workers, entrepreneurs, doctors, teachers, medical assistants, and so much more. They are the first in their families to walk across a college stage—and the first to pave new pathways for the generations behind them.
