As part of Queen’s ongoing work to increase the diversity of the student population, significant strides have been made in recruiting first-generation students. Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment is furthering its longstanding effort by welcoming a new team member who will continue the focused outreach, and support our community partners in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

“We launched our first-generation admissions pathway and established this GTA-based position in 2017 to encourage this under-represented group of students to come to Queen’s. Since then, we have seen a 38 per cent increase in first-year registrations of self-identified first-generation students,” says Allison Yokom, Director, Undergraduate Enrolment, Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment. “We are excited to welcome Richard Mitchell to Queen’s. He brings extensive experience with youth-based support initiatives in the GTA to the role.”

Richard will be joining Queen’s from Pathways to Education in Toronto. He has over 12 years of experience working with youth in communities throughout the GTA, through Pathways as well as The Learning Partnership and Youth Association for Academics, Athletics, and Character Education.

Since launching the first-generation admissions pathway in 2017, the university has added eight new partner organizations to the original three, which includes Pathways. By working with its 11 partners, Queen’s reaches out to students participating in community-based programs for youth in low-income communities and helps them understand the post-secondary education options that are available to them.

“We are excited for Richard to build on the success of Pavan Pasha in this role, who left to pursue a law degree, and we are confident he will continue to strengthen existing relationships and expand the Queen’s recruitment presence in the area,” says Yokom.

Recruitment and outreach activities, like everything else during the pandemic, has been modified and is currently being done remotely.  Staff in Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment, in collaboration with the faculties and schools, are conducting webinars, enhancing web content and leveraging social media to connect with prospective students around the world and in first generation, Indigenous, and racialized communities.

Learn more about the first-generation student admission pathway on the Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment website.