The Birmingham-Southern Office of Development hosted its fourth session of Southern Exposure on June 12-14. The summer program allows incoming first-generation students to come on campus a few days before orientation for a variety of educational round-tables and Birmingham outings. With a diverse set of backgrounds – from around Alabama and around the world – the group of 11 students dove into college life.

The incoming first-year students met with faculty, staff, and upperclassmen to discuss the transition from high school to college and the resources available. The topics ranged from academic work to counseling services to what it’s like to be the first person in the family to attend college.

“Trying to figure it out on my own has been difficult, but with the help of BSC’s staff and advisors, it’s been a smoother transition,” Litzy Salazar, a Homewood High School graduate and first-generation student, says about her admission process.

Along with topics about coursework and daily life, Southern Exposure also focuses on leadership development. Students completed the StrengthsFinder test and reviewed their results to learn more about their natural strengths and intuitions, particularly as rising leaders.

“My biggest goal for college is to help different people,” Salazar says, who will be involved in multiple clubs on campus when she begins in the fall. “Being involved here can help me become a better person to keep helping people reach their own goals.”

Last summer, Birmingham-Southern received a grant from AT&T Alabama to improve student growth and success, which funded this year’s Southern Exposure. The sessions recognize the unique strengths and challenges that first-generation students have and begin to prepare students for their rigorous education.

“I love to ask questions and understand the material, and doing that at a big university can be challenging. When they told me I could ask as many questions as I wanted to and could come to the professors at any time, I knew this was where I belonged,” Zionne McCrear, a Gardendale High School graduate, says, also coming to the College as a first-generation student.

The group enjoyed a few Birmingham classics, including a trip to the Vulcan, a Baron’s baseball game, and a meal at Saw’s Juke Joint, a Southern Exposure tradition. By bringing together a small group of students, the program allows them to build friendships as they go into orientation and the fall semester.

“I knew for a fact that coming to college would allow me to achieve my long-term goals,” McCrear says. “It’s important to me that I’m doing something in my family that has never been done before. That pushes me even more.”