Dream, Dare, Do

On Nov. 8, Johns Hopkins University proudly joined hundreds of universities nationwide in recognizing National First-Generation College Student Day, also known as FLI Day.

"This annual event celebrates the strengths and talents that first-generation and/or limited-income (FLI) students and their families bring to the university," says Bryan Capers, director of the Johns Hopkins FLI Network.

About 30% of the JHU undergraduate student body identifies as first-generation and/or limited-income, a significant increase from 17% in 2013.

Capers says over 800 attendees joined this year's FLI event, gathering on the Keyser Quad to celebrate this community through art, activities, giveaways, and refreshments.

"It was so empowering to uplift other FLI students and to celebrate being an FLI student," says Jazzlyn Fernandez, Class of 2027. "The energy was so alive."

An integral part of FLI Day is the university's partnership with Art with a Heart, a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization that works with FLI students to create visual art in the form of a shim mirror.

"The mirror symbolizes the unique and diverse backgrounds, each shard representing a different facet of their journey," Capers says. "It represents the hopes and dreams they carry, not only for themselves but also for their families and communities."

Shim mirrors created in past years can be viewed in departments across campus. This year's shim mirror location has yet to be announced.

The day's theme was "Dream, Dare, Do," and Capers notes that Johns Hopkins Athletics and the O'Connor Recreation Center created a "daring" obstacle challenge course promoting health and wellness while the FLI Network created a series of activation stations that encouraged students to consider their long-term goals.

"By inspiring reflection and imagination, the activities served to remind students that every big achievement starts with a dream," Capers says.