Success Cohorts helps first-gen college grads

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Nonprofit spotlight

Organization aims to help first-gen college students after they graduate

What you probably already know: We hear a lot about support for young people who are the first generation in their families to go to college, and how important that is while they’re applying and once they’re in school. But what about what happens when they enter the workforce?

Why? Making the transition from school to work can be bumpy for anyone, but it’s particularly difficult for young people whose parents and support network haven’t had the experience themselves. More first-generation college students go to work for nonprofit and governmental organizations, studies show, and aren’t as financially stable after graduation. That prompted Betti Fujikado and Carla Corkern to launch Success Cohorts, an organization that provides coaching and community support to first-generation college students entering the workforce.

What it means: “She’s smart and I believe in her.” That’s what Lorrie Baldevia said about Amanda Szeto, who has been part of the Success Cohorts program and now works for Assured Partners, where Baldevia is the president. That sentence helped Szeto go from interviewee to hired, even though she had no direct experience in the industry. It’s one more example of how people in positions of power can change the dynamic for nontraditional candidates.

What happens now: Szeto spoke at an event Wednesday in Seattle, calling on attendees to support Success Cohorts and organizations that support young people who have had to overcome significant hurtles to get where they are. “Together let’s create a world where every individual, regardless of background, has an opportunity to thrive,” Szeto said.