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First Generation

First Generation

First Generation Careers (FGC)

As the first in your family to attend a four-year college or university, you face unique considerations as you engage in the career development process. In collaboration with first gen student leaders, the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development established the First Generation Careers (FGC) to support first gen students' career development. The FGC provides first gen students opportunities to discover and explore career paths while building community and pride in being first gen.

FGC programming and events:

First Gen, First Look at the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development
Backstage Pass to the Fall Career Fair
Backstage Pass to the Spring Semester Career Fair
First Gen Networking Night
Backstage Pass to Consulting Week
Backstage Pass to the Wall Street Forum

Find out more information about these events in your Handshake account under Events.

First Gen Careers Advisory Board - seeking to support career development efforts for fellow first gen students

2021-2022 Board Officers:

Co-Chair: Violeta Hernandez Padilla

Major: Economics, Computing & Digital Technologies (UI/UX) minor
Year and Class: Senior, Class of 2022
Hometown: Douglasville, GA

Extracurricular activities

First Generation Careers (FGC), Advisory Board, Co-Chair
Golden Door Scholar and Mentor
Unleashed Social Ventures
Student-Athlete tutor: Spanish, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics

Internship experience

ServiceNow (Full time 2022)
National Football League (Summer 2021)
Million Marker (Fall 2020)
MetLife (Summer 2020)
Red Ventures (Summer 2019)

Other experiences

Silicon Valley Program (Fall 2020)
President's Circle Mentor Program (Summer 2020)
Arts & Letters Corporate Industry Boot Camp (Spring Break 2020)

LinkedIn Profile

Co-Chair: Brian Feury

Major: Finance, Theology Minor
Year and Class: Senior, Class of 2022
Hometown: Verona, NJ

Extracurricular activities

First Generation Careers (FGC), Advisory Board, Co-Chair
Wall Street Club Vice President/Co-Head of Diversity
Student International Business Council (SIBC)
Notre Dame Institute for Global Investing (NDIGI)

Internship experience

Morgan Stanley Investment Banking Summer Analyst (Summer 2021)

Linkedin Profile

Board Member: Miguel Coste

Major: Neuroscience and Behavior
Year and Class: Junior, Class of 2023
Hometown: Tampa, FL

Extracurricular activities

AnBryce Scholar
QuestBridge Scholar
Building Bridges Scholar
MSPS Scholar
First Generation Careers (FGC) Advisory Board, VP of Campus Relations
Children's Environmental Health Initiative, Research Assistant

Internship experience

MIT Summer Research Program in Biology (BSG-MSRP-Bio), Research Assistant

Linkedin Profile

Board Member: Silvana Portillo

Major: Political Science, Digital Marketing minor, Hesburgh Program minor
Year and Class: Senior, Class of 2022
Hometown: Columbia, SC

Extracurricular activities

First Generation Careers (FGC), Advisory Board, VP of Marketing and Communications
Walsh Hall Service Committee

Internship experience

50+1 Strategies, Digital Media Fellow (Summer 2021)
South Bend Center for the Homeless, Offsite Housing intern (Fall 2020)

Other experiences

UND Political Science Department, student employee (2021-2022)
UND Washington Program (Spring 2021) (remote)
Fighting Irish Media
South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center volunteer

Linkedin Profile

Board Member: Abigail Abikoye

Major: Biological Sciences, Poverty Studies minor
Year and Class: Senior, Class of 2022
Hometown: Bowie, MD

Extracurricular activities

First Generation Careers (FGC), Advisory Board, VP of Education
Co-Editor & Chief for COS Student-Run Publication: Scientia
Teaching Assistant for Intro Biology
Biology & ES Senior Leadership Committee
Fighting Irish Scholar and QuestBridge Scholar
COS Diversity Council & Inclusive Excellence Committee Member for BIOS Dept

Internship experience

Children's National Hospital Emergency Department Research Intern (Summer 2021)
CSC Social Concerns Internship (Spring 2021)
Shepherd Higher Education Consortium on Poverty, Intern (Summer 2020)
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Pediatric Heart Lung Center, Research Intern (Summer 2019)
National Institutes of Health, Research Intern (Summer 2018)

Linkedin Profile