Calling all readers across campus! Faculty, staff, and students, are you interested in learning about and engaging with the perspectives of first-generation college students? Are you a first-generation student or graduate who would like to share your experiences with others?

If so, you may be interested in a new campus-wide book club celebrating First-Gen Panthers hosted by the First-Generation Promising Futures Program, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Leatherby Libraries!

This year’s book selection is First Gen: A Memoir by Alejandra Campoverdi. Alejandra is a nationally recognized women’s health advocate, founder, producer, writer, and former Obama White House official. This memoir details Campoverdi’s experience as a first-generation Mexican American university student who graduated from Harvard and became a candidate for Congress. It explores what it means to be a trailblazer, including the emotional and mental struggles faced while navigating social mobility. (https://www.alejandracampoverdi.com/first-gen-a-memoir)

This initiative aims to promote a greater understanding of the perspectives and experiences of first-generation university students within the Chapman University community.

First Gen: A Memoir
by Alejandra Campoverdi

Join the Discussion
Participate in the Meetings
Bring Your Voice

Complimentary copies of the book
are available at the Cross-Cultural Center.

From First Gen by Alejandra Campoverdi, copyright © 2023. Reprinted by permission of Grand Central Publishing, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Student Book Club Meetings

Meeting 1: The first student meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, in the Cross-Cultural Center in Argyros Forum 304 at 12 p.m. Lunch will be provided for this event, so please make sure to include any dietary restrictions or food allergies in your RSVP form.

Meeting 2: The second student meeting will occur on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in LL420, located in Leatherby Libraries’ Administration Office on the fourth floor at 12 p.m. Attendees will receive lunch at this event.

Staff & Faculty Book Club Meetings

Meeting 1: The first meeting for staff and faculty will take place on Thursday, March 7, 2024, in LL420 in the Leatherby Libraries’ Administration Office on the fourth floor at 12 p.m. Lunch will be provided for this event, so please make sure to include any dietary restrictions or food allergies in your RSVP form.

Meeting 2: The second staff and faculty meeting will be on Thursday, April 4, 2024, in the Cross-Cultural Center in Argyros Forum 304 at 12 p.m. Attendees will receive lunch at this event.

Those interested in participating in this Book Club can RSVP here. Complimentary copies of First Gen: A Memoir are available for Book Club participants at the Cross-Cultural Center, courtesy of the First-Generation Promising Futures Program.

If you have any questions, please email crossculturalcenter@chapman.edu

About the Cross-Cultural Center

The Cross-Cultural Center (CCC) is a resource hub that advocates for and supports all students at Chapman University. We encourage students to explore, celebrate, and share their diverse cultures, ideologies, and traditions. We do this through:

  • Advocacy, intercultural programming, advisement, leadership development, and student retention.
  • Establishing a welcoming community and a physical space designed to be your home away from home.
  • Participating in academic exploration, fostering connections, socializing, and cultivating relationships with peers, staff, and faculty.

If you have any questions, please email crossculturalcenter@chapman.edu.

The Leatherby Libraries’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts align with the Chapman University Strategic Plan for Diversity & Inclusion, fostering a diverse and inclusive campus climate.