On a rainy Monday afternoon, approximately 130 young people gathered in Meyerson Hall.
Pre-First Year Program Welcomes the Class of 2030
Through Penn First Plus, students spent a formative month building community, finding their footing, and connecting with Peer Mentors
Published: October 6, 2026
Some were already Penn students, while others were about to be. The energy inside the lecture hall was palpable, as conversations buzzed and people craned their necks to talk with those sitting further down the aisle. Marc Lo, Executive Director of Penn First Plus, rallied the room. “Alright, everyone. We’re going to get started.”
If any group is familiar with “getting started,” it’s this one. Established roughly 30 years ago, the Pre-First Year Program welcomes a cohort of incoming students each year for four weeks of coursework, campus immersion, and community building ahead of New Student Orientation. Each participant is paired with a Peer Mentor, a second-year student who has walked the same path, to help translate that early momentum into lasting support throughout the year ahead.
What is Penn First Plus?
Penn First Plus serves as the hub of University efforts to enhance the academic experiences of students who are the first in their families to pursue a four-year baccalaureate degree or come from modest financial circumstances. Created in 2018 and always growing, it is just one of the many ways Penn continues to expand undergraduate access to robust educational experiences.
“My experience being a mentee was interesting,” said Angelly Argueta, C’29, one of this year’s mentors. “I’m from the West Coast, so the long move was a lot for me. When I arrived at Penn, it was strange just being in a new place without my family and starting college. [The Pre-First Year Program] gave me a chance to be independent and to grow in this new space in this new city. I also met a lot of my close friends that I’m still friends with today.”
Milena Fuentes, C’29, another of this year’s mentors, agreed, adding that her own experience as a mentee informed how she approaches her role as a mentor to a group of 11. “My experience going through the program helps when I’m doing one-on-ones, because I relate. I understand that I’m also a new person to them, so they might not feel as comfortable sharing. It’s just remembering to always be empathetic, because you never fully know how they’re doing.”
As Peer Mentors like Argueta and Fuentes spend a month establishing relationships with their mentees and providing support and guidance, staff and faculty also work with students to make sure they are entering the year with the right mindset and the tools to succeed. That Monday, the topic was “Building a Good Life: Habits for Success,” led by Fayyaz Vellani, the Bozza Family Penn First Plus Faculty Co-Director. “This is not just going to be a lecture,” he warned with humor as he asked students to pull out paper and pen. “It’s a workshop. So work will be involved.”
The room eventually fell silent as students considered the afternoon’s opening writing prompt: “Who might I be in four years? And how might I get there? What classes might I take, what friends might I make, what hobbies might I have?”
For some, it was the first time they’d considered the question. But for everyone, it brought home the fact that they had already taken their first step—they had arrived at Penn—and that they wouldn’t be taking the next ones alone.
