Professor Makes First-Generation Scholarships and Access Program Her Legacy

As a professor of criminology and a lifelong learner, Rosa Chang ’99 believes in the transformational power of education so much that she’s pledged part of her estate to keep first-generation scholarships and Fostering Panther Pride—which provides academic and support services to former foster youth and students experiencing homelessness—going strong.

“Programs like Fostering Panther Pride, which FIU started and now other universities are adopting, make me proud of our university,” Chang says, “because they lift up the whole community.”

Chang’s motivation to give back stems from her time as an undergraduate student at FIU. Having arrived in Miami from Venezuela when she was in tenth grade, she was suddenly expected to speak and learn in a language she didn’t know well. So, when she was admitted to FIU as a Golden Scholar, she was given an opportunity that kickstarted the lifelong learning journey that ultimately led her to return as a professor.

Chang hopes that her gift will allow first-generation students like herself to build both knowledge and resiliency so they’re prepared to face challenges both inside and outside of the academy. Being a student, she emphasizes, is such a life experience, and she wants her students to take full advantage of it.

“By helping these students directly,” Chang says, “FIU motivates me to give back because I want to see these programs continue and become self-sustaining so they can help even more students.”