Lia Hudgins ’26

Lia Hudgins ’26, a driven first-generation student, identified a need for a community among students like herself. Taking the initiative, she is co-founder and president of UNCW’s First-Generation Student Organization (FGSO). Her aim with FGSO is to create a supportive environment for fellow first-generation students.

“Our goal is to bridge the gaps in community for first-generation students,” said Hudgins. “We know that first-generation students are brilliant, driven and capable, but sometimes the isolation of being in our situation can be overwhelming. We want to make it so that facing those feelings and the other obstacles of being college students aren’t done alone.”

First-generation students can often find it hard to connect with organizations and become involved. Despite these challenges, Hudgins put herself out there and joined the rowing club. Years later, she’s now head of the club.

“There is something in college for everyone, and the kinds of opportunities that arise here are the kind that you won’t find anywhere else,” said Hudgins. “College allows you to take years of hard work and turn it into something you can always use wherever you go. What you put in, especially at UNCW, is what you will get out of it.”

Hudgins took advantage of opportunities by working on campus in the Career Center, the Learning Center, the Honors College, and now with Transition Programs. She found her passion in her major, anthropology, and is pursuing a social studies teacher licensure from the Watson College of Education. She is deeply grateful to her parents and grandparents for their hard work that allowed her to take advantage of college even though they could not.

“This has always been my plan, and over time I have realized how important that plan is to my identity and where I come from,” she said. “I see it as my ticket out and my only way to give back.”

Hudgins said she chose anthropology as her major because she “could see it in everything.”

“It is interdisciplinary and overlaps many fields, so I feel I am getting a lot out of a versatile degree,” she continued.  “It also involves a lot of reading, writing and analysis, which are skills necessary for some of my chosen career paths.”

Hudgins is considering law school or teaching after graduating in 2026. Being a first-generation student comes with unique trials, but Hudgins used those difficulties as learning opportunities.

“I think the most valuable lessons I’ve learned were in my small failures when I struggled to meet a deadline or left a class where I was unproductive. I always had the ability to come back,” she said. “There are few other places where you will find that opportunity to continually return. Seahawks constantly support other Seahawks, even if they’re just holding the door for each other. We watch each other learn, fail and grow together. That’s very valuable.”

National First-Generation College Student Week (Nov. 4-8) celebrates the achievements of first-generation college students. The week culminates on National First-Generation College Celebration Day (Nov. 8), marking the anniversary of the Higher Education Act of 1965.  In honor of the observance, we’re sharing inspiring stories from first-generation Seahawks throughout the month. Explore UNCW’s First-Generation Programs to learn about resources and a community dedicated to first-generation students’ academic and personal success.