“I believe that the backing of the FEA Award, along with the support of its members through training, events and knowledge transfer, will propel our pilot into a sustainable operation that will significantly amplify our impact. The award also serves as a platform to share our insights on how to drive change, providing our community a 'seat at the table' and enabling our voices to be heard and needs addressed. I'm excited to learn from education specialists who have firsthand experience and success in delivering social impact. The funding has arrived at a critical time of growth, post-pilot, and I look forward to expanding the team and building capacity over the next 12 months.”
alaya holloway, first gens
About First Gens and Alaya Holloway
Yasmin Baker and Yusuf Ben-Tarifite
FirstGens began as a community platform led by law student, Alaya Holloway during her second year of university. The organisation launched as a national-led, royal award-winning social enterprise in June 2024, set up to empower and support students who are the first person in their family to pursue university.
Built by first-generation students and graduates, through their own lived experiences of social isolation and systemic barriers, first-generation graduates from our team deliver the Navigating University Programme which democratises cultural capital knowledge that enables students to hit the ground running and make the most out of university.FirstGens has also become a provider of First-generation Awareness Training. Equipping education practitioners with the insights and strategies to help build inclusive educational environments where all students succeed.
Alaya Holloway, at aged 21 from Wales and studying in Bristol, experienced lack of support in navigating higher education, leading her to rethink the approach to supporting students who were least likely to access higher education. Alaya was the first person in her immediate family to pursue a Bachelors degree, pursuing law, a profession known to be reserved for those from socially and financially privileged backgrounds. As a result, Alaya faced numerous barriers to education and contemplated dropping out. Having overcome social, financial and cultural challenges, Alaya went on to achieve a 1st and received an interview at a Top 100 Law Firm.