A public record of student-led change.
These stories trace 1vyG from its first national gathering through EdMobilizer’s work on belonging, professional access, and legacy admissions.
Reporting · Interviews · Conference films
Press archive
Reporting on belonging, access, and admissions.
From campus reporting on the first 1vyG gatherings to national coverage of legacy admissions, this archive follows the questions first-generation students pushed into public view.
01Brown University · October 10, 2024
1vyG conference returns to Brown to support first-generation college students
Brown marks 1vyG’s tenth anniversary and the conference’s return to the campus where it began.
02The Boston Globe · March 26, 2023
Supreme Court affirmative action case adds urgency to push to end legacy admissions at colleges
Coverage of the national debate around legacy preference and student organizing for admissions reform.
03The Daily Pennsylvanian · September 22, 2022
Penn to host annual conference for FGLI, Ivy League students for the first time since 2018
Penn students prepare to bring 1vyG back after the conference pause and broaden the conversation around FGLI identity.
04Associated Press · February 22, 2022
From campus to Congress, colleges urged to end legacy boost
Leave Your Legacy organizers argue that inherited preference undermines equitable access to college.
05Handshake · May 15, 2018
Handshake’s Guide to the Top Diversity & Inclusion Conferences of 2018
A recruiting guide names 1vyG among the gatherings helping employers build more authentic relationships with underrepresented talent.
06The Hechinger Report · March 30, 2018
Ivy League degree: Now what?
A look at the class and career transitions low-income graduates continue to navigate after leaving elite colleges.
07The Hechinger Report · March 13, 2018
First-gen students at elite colleges go from lonely and overwhelmed to empowered and provoking change
An account of community and organizing among first-generation students across selective institutions.
08University of Pennsylvania · February 21, 2018
“Increasing Access”: How the 1vyG Conference Strengthens the FGLI Community at Penn and Elsewhere
Penn examines how 1vyG connected first-generation, low-income students across campuses and strengthened its broader access agenda.
09The Daily Pennsylvanian · February 9, 2018
As 1vyG wraps up, students discuss practical ways to apply what they learned
Reporting from the final day at Penn, where students turned a weekend of exchange into practical ideas for their campuses.
10Brown Daily Herald · September 9, 2017
1vyG grows into national advocacy organization
The Herald documents 1vyG’s transition from an annual conference into the broader EdMobilizer advocacy organization.
11Yale Alumni Magazine · June 2, 2017
First-generation students convene at Yale
A report on the Yale gathering, where hundreds of students met for workshops, conversation, and career connection.
12The Chronicle of Higher Education · February 18, 2017
For Some First-Generation Students, Fee Waivers Don’t Go Far Enough
Coverage of students organizing across institutions to challenge application fees that still put graduate study out of reach.
13The Washington Post · May 16, 2016
For the poor in the Ivy League, a full ride isn’t always what they imagined
An examination of the material and social realities that financial aid alone does not resolve on elite campuses.
14The Harvard Independent · February 25, 2016
More Than a Moment
A view from Harvard’s 1vyG gathering and the student-led organizing that made first-generation identity visible on campus.
15The Atlantic · February 25, 2016
How Low-Income Students Are Fitting In at Elite Colleges
Reporting on the growing first-generation student movement and the shift from admission alone toward belonging and support.
16The Harvard Crimson · February 22, 2016
First-Generation Students Flock to Harvard for 1vyG Conference
The second national gathering brought hundreds of students, alumni, and administrators together at Harvard.
17The New York Times · April 9, 2015
First-Generation Students Unite
Early national coverage of the students building community and advocating for change through 1vyG.
18The Boston Globe · April 9, 2015
What is it like to be poor at an Ivy League school?
A close look at belonging, money, and the everyday experience of low-income students on elite campuses.Watch and listen
Hear from students, organizers, and allies.
Conference films and interviews capture the experiences behind the headlines—and the people who built community across campuses.
Ivy League Trailblazers
Students describe the class, belonging, and identity questions that brought the first 1vyG community together.
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U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Welcomes 1vyG
John B. King welcomes 1vyG participants and places their campus work within a national push for college access and success.
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The First Lady Hosts the “Beating the Odds” Summit
1vyG co-founder Manuel Contreras joins First Lady Michelle Obama for a candid conversation about navigating the transition to college—and the communities that help students thrive.
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2019 1vyG Conference at Princeton
At Princeton’s “From Moment to Movement” summit, participants connect FLI identity with leadership and campus change.
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Penn 1vyG 2018: Focusing on the Future
Penn participants discuss the everyday realities of FGLI life—and the ideas they planned to carry back to their campuses.
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Eric Waldo: Message of Support to First-Generation College Students
Eric Waldo of Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative recognizes the students turning first-generation experience into connection and action.
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