Zoe Berg, Senior Photographer

Over one in three undergraduates in the class of 2028 are first-generation or low-income — FGLI — students. Programs across Yale’s campus are working to address barriers for FGLI students in accessing career and pre-professional resources.

Melangelo Pride ’26, an FGLI community initiative ambassador, told the News that FGLI students can feel broadly disadvantaged during the job search.

“As FGLI students, I think that it’s hard not to feel imposter syndrome when you compare yourself to peers coming from more privileged backgrounds. That self-skepticism, combined with feeling like you don’t have enough connections, can be discouraging, especially when you’re looking to enter a competitive industry,” said Pride. 

Pride’s advice to FGLI students is to leverage resources like 1stGenYale, a shared-interest group under the Association of Yale Alumni that aims to connect first-generation alumni with current FGLI students. The alumni come from different industries and are “genuinely so excited to talk,” Pride noted. 

Kennedy Smith ’26, another ambassador, noted that another main barrier the initiative hopes to address is an “internet divide.” 

“Because email is the primary means for communicating resources, including career opportunities, our weekly newsletter tries to condense relevant information into a more accessible way of engaging our FGLI community,” Smith said.

Still, for students such as Joanna Ruiz ’25, Yale’s support falls short. 

As an American studies and music double major, Ruiz said that a lack of support for FGLI students who want to pursue creative careers means that many of her peers feel like an afterthought. 

“There’s a conception across a lot of administrators and faculty at Yale and beyond that FGLI students are only in college to achieve financial stability,” Ruiz said. “They push us to enter careers in more ‘lucrative’ fields like consulting or finance that will just perpetuate income inequality, the very thing that was keeping us back in the first place.”

Ruiz added that there is not adequate support for FGLI students interested in music. For example, Yale does not have a program to lend musical instruments to students who do not own them.

Mercuri Lam ’28 told the News that as an FGLI student who wants to pursue a nontraditional career in the arts, she feels a similar pressure to make her passions “profitable.” 

“I get questioned a lot about majoring in ER&M and Art History, and there’s a perception that I came from money just because I’m studying things I’m passionate about,” said Lam. “I wish that I felt more support from peers and administration to pursue a creative career.” 

Derek Webster, the director of common good & creative careers in the Yale Office of Career Strategy, told the News that the OCS is working to make a wider range of careers more accessible for low-income students. 

Webster noted that internships can pose a barrier for FGLI students who are pursuing careers in fields where entry-level positions are underpaid. He highlighted resources like the Summer Experience Award, which can help fund unpaid or underpaid summer experiences such as apprenticeship programs in creative industries. 

Other financial resources from the OCS include professional development reimbursement for Yale juniors and seniors. This $400 fund can help offset costs for conference travel, software or test preparation for students on financial aid. 

“Our goal with these resources is to bridge the gap into experiences in industries that would not have otherwise been approachable for financial reasons,” Webster told the News. “My main piece of advice to students balancing financial pressure and a passion for less-traditional career is to come to us for a custom conversation. What are the elements that you’re dealing with, what are the resources, and hopefully even new and expanding resources, that we might be able to talk about to eliminate barriers to entry?”

Webster acknowledged that many students may not know these resources exist. He told the News that the OCS is trying to raise awareness and further engage with the communities at Yale most in need. 

The Office of Career Strategy is located on 55 Whitney Ave.