I Am First Spring 2026 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. You are still considered first-generation if you meet at least one of the following criteria:
Your parent(s)/guardian(s) went to a trade school.
Your parent(s)/guardian(s) went to a community college and took classes.
Your parent(s)/guardian(s) went to a community college and have an Associate’s degree. Your sibling(s) graduated from a four-year university.
Your parent(s)/guardian(s) received a four-year degree in another country.
Currently enrolled as a transfer, 3rd, or 4th 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/ or you can also utilize HIRATION our
virtual resume check software, if you are unable to visit us in person. Click HERE to access HIRATION.
Time Commitment
Mandatory Friday Sessions from 10:00am-12:00pm- full commitment to attend all sessions is required.
NOTE: This is a hyrbid program. You can miss no more than 2 sessions to be considered for the Career Readiness Certificate and Scholarship Opportunity.
There will be 5 sessions in person and 4 held virtually, for a total of 9 sessions. The in-person sessions will not be not be recorded, you must be available to be on campus for each of the 5 in-person sessions.
Session Dates - 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8
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:
Design Your Life 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 Mentor who is a working professional and/or current doctoral student.
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 scholarship award will be awarded to selected recipients who fully complete the program and additional program requirements, to further explore and execute their goals
Build community with first-gen peers through Canvas and I Am first Social Media sites
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, January 9th
In addition to an application, please upload and submit your resume.
Questions?
Please contact
Stephanie Reyes, sreyes@fullerton.edu
Sr. Associate Director