“Seeing how much help I got on my first year of college from the Cardinal First team I also wanted to be part of the team that helps create a welcoming environment for the younger students who might feel lost and confused,” – Fatima Ramirez, 19, Class of 2029.
Cardinal First is an award-winning program at North Central College dedicated to helping first-gen students develop career exploration and mentorship. The program offers many different opportunities. Including networking, a $1,000 scholarship based on attendance for first-year through junior year students, and academic and personal development.
Julie Carballo is the Assistant Dean of Students for First-generation and Military-Affiliated Initiatives; and Marissa Gaigalas, is the Associate Director for First-Generation & Military-Affiliated Initiatives. The team also includes three graduate assistants who help connect and impact students.
While North Central College has gained recognition for Cardinal First, what do current students and alumni say about their experience with the program helping them reach graduation?
Although first-gen students are starting to make up the majority of undergraduates around the nation, enrollment does not always ensure graduation.
According to CollegeHelpGuide, “56% of U.S. undergraduates are first-gen college students yet only 24% earn a bachelor’s degree within six years.”
Therefore, does NCC remain engaged with the students beyond surface-level after being accepted? Do first-gen students feel the program’s proactive effort in helping them reach graduation?
NCC Awards
Cardinal First reaches 273 first-year students, which is 45.6% of all new first-year students. They also engage with 137 new transfers, which is 44.1% of all new transfer students. Through the program, Cardinal First focuses on community-building, career exploration and personal development. Leading the institution to receive three awards from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators:
Two regarding their Excellence Awards (2025) and one representing their Innovative Program Award (2024) given to the Cardinal First Alumni Academy.
They were also featured on National Public Radio in 2019 and given the title as “2021 Example of Excelencia.” It was under the Baccalaureate category for Latino Students to highlight their asset-based approach. Also recognized in an evidence-based program in Excelencia in Education’s “What Works for Latino Student Success” database.
While awards provide one measure of credibility, it is important to analyze other factors. Comparing the performance of students participating in Cardinal First with those who don’t is essential. It provides insight on the program’s impact on students’ academic pursuits. Julie Carballo and Marissa Gaigalas helped gain insight into the program’s association with a student’s enrollment to graduation rate.
The workshops
Forty workshops are created for first-year students, 8 suppers for sophomores, 25 workshops for juniors, and 25 workshops for seniors. The workshops are created based on the typical needs students face during that year.
As an overview, the freshmen learn to embrace uncertainty and navigate college life volatility in “Cardinal First Fridays.” The Cardinal First “Sophomore Suppers” review network opportunities and how to conduct professional outreach. While the Cardinal First “Penultimate” (juniors) emphasizes career strategizing market research before their senior year. Lastly, Cardinal First “Homestretch” (seniors) wraps up their workshops by preparing students for personal independence and job or graduate research. Faculty academic mentorship groups are created, within these workshops. This including 19 undergraduate departments and eight graduate departments with faculty that are also first gen.
Dr. Rico-Aniles (middle left) conversating with first-gen students.
The Data
According to Cardinal First’s data, since 2015, 91% of first gen students who completed the workshops in their first year remained enrolled at NC for their second year versus 57% of first gen students who did not.
Cardinal First data shows an association between participation in the program and student graduation rates. Students who started in the fall of 2015 through the fall of 2020, 78% of first-gen students who remained active in Cardinal First Friday series graduated compared to 41.5% of first-gen students that did not.
Additionally, the participation of this program has steadily increased each semester. This is reflected by the participation from students volunteering to be an ambassador for the program after experiencing it.
In the spring semester of 2026, there were 54 one-hour workshops and 1,885 student engagements. On average 600 students at the workshops each month. After participating in the program as a mentee, many decide to become an ambassador to continue sustaining the mission of Cardinal First. Approximately, 35-55 first-gen sophomores, juniors and seniors are selected to serve as ambassadors.
Engagement
Beyond data provided by Cardinal First, other research offers a look at the experiences of students who were in the program. A North Central Alumna, Dr Stephanie Zobac, conducted an internal review for her doctoral research. The review reveals that students learned to embrace their first-gen status through support they received at the program.
In a 2022 dissertation, Dr. Matt Daily surveyed 541 first-gen students at 34 private institutions. The survey included 20 North Central students who were active in Cardinal First. Among those 20 North Central participants, Dr. Matt Daily reported that 85% developed a “sense of community” with other first-gen college students. Another 85% of participants saw the value in having community support for first-gen students. While 95% revealed that the program’s support helped “toward earning their four-year college degree”.
What students have to say
“It allows first-gen students to really connect with others who they most likely wouldn’t have connected with if it weren’t for the program itself. It has impacted me in so many ways. With the support systems available and it has allowed me to expand on who I am and really open myself to others,” Andrea Garcia, ’29 said.
“I will say there are some things that are unnecessary, but I wouldn’t say I left feeling like I wasted my time. There was always something to come away with. Being an ambassador helped me get other leadership positions. I feel like Marissa and Julie are also very good resources to find other leadership positions even if they aren’t being an ambassador,” Macklin Green, ’28 said.
“I also wanted to become a leader who people can look up to whenever they need help. It has helped grow my personal development by feeling more confident in speaking to a bigger crowd and guiding others,” Fatima Ramirez, ’29 said.
Alumni
“I wish I was part of Cardinal First in the beginning because then I would have had less challenges of getting into an internship program, and I wouldn’t have struggled so much in my last year of finding what was next for me. As an immigrant in a very anti-immigrant country, it’s been really tough to navigate through many challenges without being underestimated. Being part of Cardinal First has really taught me to understand that people come from diverse cultures, and they may have different experiences than I have, but it doesn’t mean that their story is less than mine,” Stella Fenega, ’17 said. She earned her master’s in 2019.
“All the events hosted taught me professional development and knowledge about other stuff. For example: Dr. Decker’s workshops. I learned a lot about the stock market and how that works. I have been investing ever since I have learned about that. And meeting with other professionals like Travelers Insurance and gaining insight about the professional world,” GA Assistant Vincent Puelles, ’25 said. He will earn his master’s in 2027.
The data shows an association between participation in Cardinal First and student retention and graduation rates. Insights from the students reveal that they have seen an effect on their academic career. While other students, such as Ramirez, found the value of the program and decided to become an ambassador for leadership opportunities. With 410 new first-gen students joining North Central this year, Cardinal First’s continued reach will depend on the program’s consistent engagement with students and effectively communicating what their opportunities look like to spark student interest throughout the student’s four years.
