First-Gen Pinning Ceremony

The First-Gen Pinning Ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the journeys of people who are the first in their families to go to college.

Students may elect to pin themselves or select someone in their life to attach a Clark University-branded first-gen pin to the student during the ceremony to signify their tremendous achievement as a graduating first-generation college student.

Graduation is always cause for celebration, but it is an especially proud occasion for first-generation college students and their families, friends, and loved ones. At the First-Gen Pinning Ceremony, the pin serves as a reminder of the hard-work, resiliency, and dedication required to arrive at this moment as a first-gen graduate. We invite first-gen students to wear this pin during Commencement to celebrate where they have been and where they are headed.

The First-Gen Pinning Ceremony is a supplemental celebration to Clark University’s Commencement on Monday, May 19, 2025.

• First-Gen Pinning Ceremony
• First-Gen Week
• National First-Generation College Student Day