Lebanon Valley College Recognized for Commitment to Improving Experiences and Advancing Outcomes for First-Generation College Students

FirstGen Forward announced Lebanon Valley College as a new member to the FirstGen Forward Network Class of 2026. To be selected as a FirstGen Forward Network Member, Lebanon Valley College displayed a demonstrated commitment to improving experiences and advancing success for first-generation college students.

“We are honored to be selected as a member of the FirstGen Forward Network,” said Dr. Michelle Maldonado, LVC Provost. “This recognition reflects Lebanon Valley College’s deep commitment to supporting first-generation students and ensuring they have the resources, community, and opportunities to thrive. Through initiatives like Dutchmen First and the inspiring success of students like Landon Sexton ’28, we are building a campus where first-generation students are recognized as a vital part of our community and are empowered to achieve their full potential.”

“LVC’s comprehensive support for first-generation students is amplified through next month’s incoming class, which is our largest incoming class in history. First-generation students represent 32% of the new enrollees, more than six percentage points higher than last fall.

The FirstGen Forward Network provides a three-phase approach—Network Member, Network Leader, and Network Champion—to scaling holistic first-generation student success by engaging and empowering higher education institutions to transform the first-generation student experience, advance academic and co-curricular outcomes, and build more inclusive institutional structures. With the new class, the Network includes more than 500 institutions of higher education, including two statewide systems, representing 48 states and the District of Columbia.

“We are excited to welcome Lebanon Valley College to the FirstGen Forward Network,” said Martina A. Martin, vice president at FirstGen Forward. “Throughout the application process, Lebanon Valley College demonstrated a clear commitment to advancing success for first-generation students—backed by a willingness to align strategy, data, and campus-wide efforts for long-term impact. Their leadership reflects a meaningful investment in creating the conditions where first-generation students can thrive.”

In this first phase of the Network, selected institutions will participate in the FirstGen Forward Network Virtual Kick-off on August 20, 2026. As a Network Member, Lebanon Valley College’s interested faculty and staff are afforded opportunities to engage with peer institutions also working to create environments that improve the experiences and success of first-generation students, and will participate in monthly calls, professional development, goal setting, blog development, annual reporting, and more.

After successful completion of the Network Member phase, institutions may progress to the second phase, FirstGen Forward Network Leader, in which institutions receive an evidence-based and research-supported framework of actionable priorities supported through monthly workshops; diagnostic tools providing critical institutional insight; robust data-sharing as part of the national Postsecondary Data Partnership; guidance of expert coaches along each step of the experience; and more. Ultimately, all Network institutions strive for national leadership as FirstGen Forward Network Champions.

“There is nothing quite like seeing a new generation of institutions step into this network with purpose and passion,” said Dr. Stephanie J. Bannister, President of FirstGen Forward. “FirstGen Forward exists because we believe institutions are strongest when they learn alongside one another—sharing evidence-based practices, working through challenges together, and advancing first-generation student success at scale. LVC is joining a community of practitioners doing exactly that, and the Class of 2026 represents a remarkable groundswell of energy and commitment. I know Lebanon Valley College will be a meaningful contributor to what we build together.”

To learn more about first-generation efforts at Lebanon Valley College, which fall under Dutchmen First, visit here. To learn more about FirstGen Forward, visit firstgenforward.org.

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About FirstGen Forward
FirstGen Forward is the center for first-generation student success–your premier source for evidence-based approaches, data-informed strategies, professional development, and research. Together, we are building community and belonging through the FirstGen Forward Network, knowledge creation and evidence-based practices, and thought leadership and advocacy, transforming higher education and the student success landscape guided by a first-gen lens.

About Dutchmen First
The Dutchmen First program is designed to support first-generation students through their transition to college and provide helpful resources throughout their college journey. The Dutchmen First program is dedicated to empowering first-generation students with the skills, resources, and connections they need to thrive at LVC and beyond.

The D1st Nation, an offshoot of the Dutchmen First program, is designed to support first-generation student-athletes as they balance academics, athletics, wellness, and personal growth at LVC.