Daelon Petty '26

For Daelon Petty '26, being a first-generation student means changing the trajectory of his life and possibly those he will aid in his future career.

It's the relational aspect that drew Petty to social work, the field he wants to enter after graduating from UNCW.

"The core of what I want from a career is to help people," he said. "I want to establish professional relationships with people and help them navigate their own lives and struggles, specifically those of adolescents."

The valuable experiences at UNCW, such as involvement in student organizations and internships, will help create opportunities in a career he's passionate about, Petty added.

Petty co-founded the First-Generation Student Organization, a community that supports fellow first-generation Seahawks as they navigate academics and college life. Once approved as an official student organization, Petty and other students plan to host social events to connect first-generation students and provide workshops and other opportunities in tandem with Seahawks First.

Seahawks First is a program that meets the unique needs of first-generation and foster care students through programming and engagement. Staff guide students through all phases of their collegiate experience to reduce barriers and improve outcomes.

"I had difficulty adjusting to college and struggled to find support initially," he said. "When I and other first-gen students met up with one another, we realized there was a need on campus for the First-Generation Student Organization.”

College was not something his family talked about, so he had to do a lot of research, said Petty, who is a former recipient of the Jose V. Sartarelli and Katherine A. Sartarelli Merit Scholarship.

"Eventually, I found UNCW and the programs they offered were varied and vast," said Petty, a Soar Ambassador Scholarship recipient. "Walking this beautiful campus stunned me, and something felt right about the atmosphere."

Petty encouraged fellow first-generation students not to let other people's experiences discourage them.

"Coming to college, you notice a lot more socioeconomic disparities between you and your friends and realize that you might not have had the same opportunities growing up or the benefit of financial support from your parents," he said. "Don't let that discourage you from your career goals and aspirations or from even having fun in college. There are plenty of experiences you can have that will expand your perspective."

Visit UNCW's First-Generation website to learn more about resources to support first-generation students.