The film captures the journeys of five UMB CURE Scholars as they attend college, highlighting the importance of education as underrepresented students from West Baltimore.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is pleased to announce the premiere of “First Gen: From West Baltimore,” a documentary by Susan Hadary, on Sept. 7 on Maryland Public Television. The Oscar- and multiple Emmy-winning director has spent the last six years working with five of UMB’s CURE Scholars to capture their journeys from middle school to college to highlight the importance of education as underrepresented students from West Baltimore.
In the latest installment of the docuseries, the scholars give updates about their lives after graduating from high school. Viewers of the “From West Baltimore” series have seen firsthand the changes in these students from when they were starting the CURE Scholars program in sixth grade to their first post-high school year, learning how the program has inspired them to dream. From journalism to electrical engineering to psychology, these students have had the opportunity to explore career choices they might not have been exposed to otherwise.
The documentary’s theme touches on how most of the teens are first-generation college students — students whose parents did not complete a four-year college or university degree. Davioin, Courtney, Princaya, Shakeer, and Tyler experience the weight of family depending on them from a young age. Each has personal experience of being a family leader and has chosen to lead the way through the pursuit of education. Those attending college are experiencing a life much safer than that in which they grew up and can now focus solely on their educational advancement. As one student put it, college is “the open door” that will lead them to a better and brighter future.
UMB CURE Scholars is a groundbreaking, year-round program seeking to empower middle school and high school students in West Baltimore for competitive and rewarding research, health care, and STEM-related career opportunities. In the last 2022-23 year, 113 students participated in the program from sixth grade through sophomore year in college.
“First Gen: From West Baltimore” premieres on Maryland Public Television on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 7:30 p.m.