#ImpactNC with your gift today!
This Day of Giving, Cardinal First (First-gen Programs) is seeking donations to fund the 2026 Cardinal First Alumni Academy, connecting 75-100 first-gen alumni serving as presenters, panelists and table hosts with 200+ of our current first-gen students, and other professional development opportunities for our juniors and seniors.
Donations of any amount will make a difference and will help us continue to move #firstgenforward for the 876 first-gen students currently at NC.
Exciting updates:
1. Cardinal First received top honors in the 2025 NASPA Excellence Awards, earning the Gold Award for First-Generation Student Success and the prestigious Grand Gold Award as the top program across all twelve categories. NASPA, the leading organization for student affairs professionals in higher education, recognizes outstanding and transformative programs through its annual Excellence Awards.
2. Save the Date - Our next Cardinal First Alumni Academy - a biennial event - will take place on Friday, March 20, 2026.
3. We have some first-gen juniors looking for Summer 2025 internships and some May 2025 first-gen graduates seeking full-time positions. Please share any leads you have.
We invite you to stay connected via our social media. We do first-gen alumni posts weekly and would love to feature you. Reply if interested.
Instagram @firstgencardinals
Facebook @NorthCentralCollege.CardinalFirst
ImpactNC with your gift today and help us keep moving #firstgenforward at North Central!
Our Mission
The mission of Cardinal First is to provide a supportive and welcoming community for first-generation college students and their families, a campus culture that recognizes and celebrates first-generation student identity as an asset, and a program that intentionally connects first-generation students to faculty, resources, information and experiences that promote academic and personal success from enrollment through graduation.
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