Why?
First-gen, low-income students of color and their families have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They are less likely to have summer internships than their peers, and have lower starting salaries. Check out our infographic on the lower salaries, lack of parent-driven connections, and lower job offer rates that first-gen students face. One of the biggest ways we make impact is by funding internships for first-gen students.
Who?
Here’s a real story: we career coached Mikey in 2019. As a child of immigrants, he was the first in his family to graduate from Lehigh University, pursued his dream of working abroad, and got a job teaching English in Changsha, China. That experience was cancelled due to coronavirus, and his part-time tutoring job was in jeopardy with reduced hours. We funded a Community Impact Fellowship for Mikey in the summer of 2020, and he was able to leverage this to get a full-time role.
How?
Your money goes directly to a qualified first-generation individual. We are a registered 501(c)3, so your donations are tax deductible.
Donation Amount: $1200 will pay for 10 hours/week at $15/hr for 8 weeks. $2400 will help us create a truly part-time internship of 20 hours/week. This is meant to be supplementary income and a strong professional experience that they can pitch for their next jobs. ***FutureMap is a registered charity on Benevity. Check with your company to see if your donation is eligible for corporate matching!
First Generation Grad Challenges
First generation and low income college graduates face unique challenges challenges in the college-to-career transition. FutureMap’s mission is to help graduates navigate these challenges and gain solid footing on their career paths.
Greater financial responsibilities.
First generation graduates often have family responsibilities that put additional financial pressure on them.
Lack of social capital.
Building a network and leveraging that network to find jobs and open up career opportunities is often a foreign concept that first generation and low income college graduates do not realize is actually a necessity.
Lower starting salaries
Many first generation graduates are underemployed taking lower salary jobs to meet their financial responsibilities.
Lower success in job search
Without the knowledge and guidance needed to effectively search for jobs, first generation graduates often fall short in the job hunt.
Anxiety, depression, and impulsivity
With the financial pressures, lower success rates in job searching, lack of tools and networking skills, first generation college graduates are more likely to manifest in greater anxiety, depression, and impulsive behaviors such as dropping out of the work force.
