I Am First Fall 2025 Application
California State University, Fullerton’s Career Center invites you to apply to
“I Am First…Empower, Explore, Execute” Program
The Career Center is committed to engage, educate, and empower students by providing high-quality services in career development, planning, and preparation, experiential learning, job, and graduate or professional school attainment. I Am First…Empower, Explore,
Execute program aims to provide first-generation, first-year and sophomore students with the tools, resources, and confidence to pursue their internship and career-related goals.
A “first-generation college student” is defined as a student who is attending a four-year college to earn a bachelor's degree, but their parents/guardians did not obtain a bachelor's degree. (NACE Journal, Nov. 2016).
Therefore, the I Am First… program will equip first-generation college students with the confidence, self-awareness, and career readiness knowledge to jumpstart into a successful journey towards achieving career and leadership development. As an I Am First
student you will be amongst a group of your peers who can relate to the first-generation college experience and provide a network of support even beyond the program conclusion.
Program Qualifications
Identify as first in your family to obtain a college degree in the U.S.
Currently enrolled as a first and/or second-year student
Complete entire program application
Submit resume
Note: The Career Center offers “Drive-Thru Services” M – F to assist you with your resume related questions. Visit our website @ http://www.fullerton.edu/career/.
Time Commitment
Mandatory Friday Sessions from 10:00am-12:00pm- full commitment to attend all sessions is required. Sessions are in-person and virtual.
In-person session dates: 9/26,10/10,10/24,11/14,11/21
Virtual session dates: 10/03,10/17,10/31,11/07
Full commitment is required, 2 missed sessions will disqualify you from being eligible for a scholarship and a Career Readiness Completion Certificate granted by the Career Center and signed by University Leadership.
I Am First… Program Benefits
Exposure to:
Life Design Exploratory Lab- walk away with a career and life roadmap to success
StrengthsFinder 2.0 - a strengths-based assessment and overview to help identify your strengths as a first-generation college student
First-Generation Alumnus, Employer, Faculty Panel/Networking
Get connected with an Alumni Mentor
Receive a Launch Your Career Workbook and Career Readiness Assessment to help you with building skills to access the hidden job market
Additional Benefits:
Scholarship Award Opportunity- A $250 scholarship award will be awarded to select recipients who fully complete the program and additional program requirements, to further explore and execute their goals
Access to Career Launch Academy Resouces (valued at $150)
Joining a community through Canvas and social media
Why Participate?
Students will be able to:
Gain awareness of their individual strengths and how they interact with academic and career development
Build a community with fellow first-generation college students
Connect with employers, CSUF alumnus, and faculty to learn more about various career paths
Design career-ready action plans to implement during their college journey
How to Apply:
Application deadline is Friday, September 5th
In addition to an application, please upload and submit your resume
Questions?
Please contact
Stephanie Reyes, sreyes@fullerton.edu
Sr. Associate Director