One Book

Join us for a powerful conversation with Alejandra Campoverdi, author of First Gen!

What does it mean to be the first in your family—to go to college, to build a career, to break cycles, or to redefine what success looks like?

Join bestselling author and advocate Alejandra Campoverdi for a powerful conversation about her book First Gen and the lived experience of being a "First and Only." From navigating generational expectations to balancing ambition with belonging, Alejandra shares insights from her personal journey and invites us to reflect on our own.

The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Kevin A. Meza, a longtime student advocate and first-gen leader in higher education, and will explore themes like emotional inheritance, identity, social mobility, and the strength it takes to forge a new path.

This event is for anyone who’s ever been the “first” in any part of life—and for those who support them. Come to connect, reflect, and be inspired.

📅 Event Schedule: First Gen Author Visit

🕦 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM | Meet and Greet

Join us after the talk for an informal meet and greet with First Gen author Alejandra Campoverdi.
This is a chance to say hello, ask a question, or share your own story.
Light refreshments will be provided.
 

🕛 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | To Be a First and Only: A Conversation with Alejandra Campoverdi

Featuring:
Alejandra Campoverdi, Author of First Gen
Moderated by Dr. Kevin A. Meza, First-gen advocate and higher ed leader
 

🕐 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM | Book Signing & Photos

Bring your copy of First Gen (or purchase one at the GCC Campus Bookstore) for a book signing and photo opportunity with Alejandra Campoverdi.

📚About the Author

Alejandra Campoverdi

Alejandra Campoverdi is a nationally recognized advocate for educational equity and women’s health, a former White House aide to President Obama, and the bestselling author of First Gen—a deeply personal exploration of identity, ambition, and the unseen emotional costs of social mobility.

Her book, First Gen, has received numerous honors, including the Dolores Huerta Award from the International Latino Book Awards, where Alejandra was also named the 2024 Rising Star in Nonfiction. The book was selected as the 2024 Opportunity Matters Book Club pick by the Council for Opportunity in Education, bringing her story to first-generation and low-income students across the country.

In 2024, Alejandra launched the First Gen Fund, a nonprofit that provides hardship grants to first-generation college students. She is also the producer of the acclaimed PBS documentary Inheritance, and the founder of LATINOS & BRCA, an awareness initiative with Penn Medicine’s Basser Center for BRCA.

Alejandra earned her Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University and graduated cum laude from USC. She currently serves on the board of the California Community Foundation and as a Senior Fellow at USC’s Center on Communication Leadership and Policy.

Through her writing, advocacy, and lived experience, Alejandra continues to challenge narrow definitions of success and to champion the voices of those navigating the complexities of being a First and Only.

🎤Moderator

Kevin A. Meza, PhD

Academic Senator

People, Power & Perspectives (Social Sciences) Lead Counselor  

Dr. Kevin A. Meza has been counseling and advocating for students for over 30 years. He takes a strengths-based approach, empowering students and changing campus policies that impede their success. Kevin earned a PhD in higher education at Claremont Graduate University, an MEd in counseling, and a BA in sociology at UCLA. He is a first-generation college student from a low-income, Mexican-American/Chicana/o family. Kevin is committed to cultural awareness and improving as a counselor by traveling to over 50 countries and teaching graduate students at the University of Southern California the art of counseling.