For Parents and Families

We understand that parents and family members want to help, too. Here are some things they can do to better understand their student’s VCU experience and support them during the journey.

• Attend Supporting Your First-Generation Student sessions: Attend sessions about how to support your first-generation student during one of VCU’s Preview Days, the on-campus special event especially for accepted students and their families. Visit the Preview Day website for more information about the event.
  
  
• Attend Family Orientation: Family Orientation is offered to parents and family members of all new first-year and transfer students. Designed to give you an opportunity to ask questions you may not want to ask with your student sitting next to you, this program takes place during New Student Orientation and is separate from the student experience.
  
  
• Words to know: Sometimes it seems like college has its own language. To get an understanding of the linguistics of higher education, you can check out this useful Higher Education Glossary created by U.S. News and World Report.

Famous firsts

• John Lewis, former U.S. Congressman and civil rights leader
• Ruth Bader Ginsberg, former associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
• John Legend, singer-songwriter
• Toni Morrison, author, first black woman to receive a Nobel Prize in literature
• Tom Hanks, actor
• Oprah (She needs no introduction.)
• Sonia Sotomayor, first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice
• Michelle Obama, former first lady
• Colin Powell, first African-American Secretary of State
• Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts senator
• Howard Schultz, former CEO and chairman of Starbucks
• Viola Davis, actress
• Barney Frank, former U.S. Congressman and first openly gay member of Congress
• Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the United States