Missouri State President Clif Smart will join a panel discussion hosted by the College of Arts and Letters March 28 to bring first-generation college student stories to light.

About the panel

The panel will convene after the screening of the documentary, “First Generation,” where Smart will join the film’s director/producer, Adam Fenderson, along with a high school guidance counselor and first generation MSU college student, to explore ways in which our community can work together to help Missouri’s first-generation students experience greater success in college.

 

 

About ‘First Generation’

Narrated by Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood, the film tells the story of four high school students — an inner city athlete, a small town waitress, a Samoan warrior dancer, and the daughter of migrant field workers — who set out to break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to their families and communities by pursuing a college education.

Shot over the course of three years and featuring some of our nation’s top educational experts (Richard Kahlenberg, The Century Foundation; J.B. Schramm, College Summit; Dr. Bill Tierney, University of Southern California), this 95-minute documentary explores the problem of college access faced by first generation and low-income students and how their success has major implications for the future of our nation.

Event details

Date: Saturday, March 28
Time: Screening at 7 p.m.; Panel discussion at 8:45 to 9:45 p.m.
Location: Plaster Student Union (PSU) Theater
Parking: Available in Lot 24 (access off National Ave, one block south of Grand Street) or in Bear Park North, the park & ride facility next to Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts — then take MSU Shuttle to PSU.