Michigan Ross Launches First-Generation Alumni Association: Champions, Community, and Next Steps
Access to top business schools like the Ross School of Business can be challenging for first-gen students—those in their families who are the first to earn a college degree. For every first-gen student crossing the stage at graduation, there are countless more who could, if only they had the support, mentorship, and insight needed to take the next step.
Michigan Ross is striving to change the trajectory.
To help support the next generation of trailblazers and foster community among first-gen alums, Michigan Ross is establishing a new First-Generation Alumni Association. The goal of the new affinity group is to connect, celebrate, and empower alumni who know what it’s like to break new ground, offering them opportunities to reconnect with Ross and to support those following in their footsteps.
Meet the Founding Alumni Advisory Board Members
The following Michigan Ross alumni have stepped up to guide the new affinity group as inaugural First-Generation Alumni Association board members:
- Tashira Gibbs, MBA ’07: Co-President
- Brianna Ross, MBA ’25: Co-President
- Lesli Ann Agcaoili, MBA ’09: Allyship Advisory
- Robert Larios, MBA '14: Alumni Community Engagement
- Gustavo Sacramento, BBA ’22: Communications & Marketing
The leadership board also includes two members-at-large from the Ross staff: Empower & Thrive Initiative (ETI) Program Manager Katie Fredline and Ross Accounting Lecturer Dennis Oswald.
“I feel humbled and honored to listen, learn, and help build a space of belonging, support, and community for students and alumni on their first-generation journeys, said Board Co-President Gibbs.
My hope is that what we are building appeals to any Ross alumni who identify with or want to support the experience of being the first in the room, on any level.
Building a More Inclusive Tomorrow—With Your Help
The new First-Generation Alumni Association is actively seeking members to help to strengthen the Ross first-generation network and create meaningful opportunities for students and alumni alike.
With that in mind, are you a first-generation Ross alum? Would you like to help lead the way for current and future first-gen students, all while enjoying the chance to get to know more of your alumni peers through convenient online events? If so, take the first step and join the Michigan Ross First-Generation Alumni Association. (Click the “Join Club” link in the right column of the webpage.) You’ll then receive updates, learn about opportunities to connect with other first-gen grads, and be part of a growing community.
Also, be sure to save the date for the First-Generation Celebration Dinner at Michigan Ross on November 4, 2026, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Tauber Colloquium. This popular gathering is part of the annual First Gen Celebration Week, Nov 2-6, 2026. — a vibrant series of events and activities organized by Ross’s Empower and Thrive Program in partnership with the University of Michigan’s First Generation Program. Students, faculty, staff, and allies come together to uplift first-gen stories, participate in mentorship sessions, engage in strengths-accelerator workshops, and more.
Whether you graduated decades ago or just donned your cap and gown, your story matters, and your involvement could make all the difference to someone just starting their own journey. Because the group operates virtually, geography need not be a limiting factor.
