For first-generation college students, the hardest part often isn’t the coursework — it’s everything around it. Without a built-in guide to campus life, even small decisions can feel like high-stakes guesswork.
“I was the first person in my family to go to college,” said Ellery Lemiso, ’26. “It was really hard to figure everything out.”
That’s why support from annual donors is so critical — their assistance to the FAME program helps students like Ellery build a campus community that guides them.
FAME, which stands for Fostering Academic Mentoring Excellence, is a resource center for students who have experienced foster care, homelessness, kinship care, are first-generation or are independent for various reasons. The program is led by Chiquita Whittington, through MSU’s School of Social Work.
“It has helped immensely,” Ellery said. “Anytime I have a problem, I go straight to Chiquita, and she helps me every single time — it’s amazing.”
FAME offers a wealth of resources, including full access to its Care Closet, which provides personal care items, household supplies, school materials and food. The program also includes coaching, monthly life skills training, events and mentoring.
Over her four years on campus, Ellery credits FAME not only with providing resources but also fostering a community of friends and mentors who have shaped her journey.
“I’ve made a lot of good friends in FAME,” she said. “I have my mentor from FAME who’s helped me out a lot, too. So, I’ve created a support system very quickly.”
Recent graduate Maggie Wilson, '26, who joined FAME's Speakers Bureau, says she doesn't know "who or where" she would be without FAME.
LEARN MORE about support for the FAME program by contacting Senior Director of Development Rachel Schmidt at rschmidt@msu.edu or calling (517) 432-7047 or visit MSU Crowdpower.
A version of this story originally appeared in the Spring 2025 MSU FAME Program for Alumni & Friends newsletter.