First in their families to walk the stage: The inspiring stories of UG’s first-generation graduates

For some families, a university graduation is a moment they have imagined for years but never quite seen. There are no familiar graduation photographs on the walls, no older sibling to explain what to expect, and no family experience to draw on when the journey becomes difficult. Then, one day, someone makes it through.

A son, a daughter, a mother, a younger sibling becomes the first to walk across a university graduation stage, carrying with them the hopes, sacrifices and unfinished dreams of those who came before.

Full coverageUniversity of Guyana Graduates Overcome Hardship to Earn Class of 2026 Degrees9 reports

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For several members of the University of Guyana’s (UG) Class of 2026, that moment represents far more than the completion of a degree. They are the first in their families to attain a university education, breaking new ground for their relatives and showing younger generations that higher education is within reach, regardless of where they begin.