AUSTIN — Concordia kicked off the first day of school in style with free goodies and a fun way for students to get involved.
“Wildin’ out,” laughed Raven Cato, a junior. “We’re having a party!”
The university hosted different organizations in the student center on Monday during their Week of Welcome.
“It’s a chance for us to celebrate,” said Concordia University President Donald Christian. “To think about how students get involved beyond the classroom.”
Christian said the university appeals to a wide variety of students, including first-generation college students.
“We work hard to keep costs down, we reach out to students, we believe also that a place like ours where students are known by their name, where they get to be in classes which they get to talk and have a voice, is really important for that first generation -- to find a home where they come and learn,” Christian said.
Gabriel Ramirez, a first-generation college student who is on track to graduate in December, said he hopes to inspire his younger sisters to continue their education after high school.
“It’s a lot of weight sometimes, but it’s a good struggle just to show them that we’re capable of breaking the mold of not really going to school and not really continuing our education,” Ramirez said. “Being the first one, it’s kind of hard leaving family and then coming over here. I miss them a lot, but it shows them we can get out of our neighborhoods and explore our surroundings.”