The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law celebrated its first-generation graduates this spring with an inaugural Cording Ceremony. The ceremony brought together graduating students, family members, friends, faculty, staff, mentors, and supporters to celebrate the graduates as they received their first-generation graduation cords and certificates.
“This ceremony reflects what this community values: opening doors, building pathways, and ensuring that all have real and meaningful access to law school and the legal profession,” said Associate Dean for Access and Community Engagement and Associate Professor of Law Briana Rosenbaum, who also hosted the event.
The ceremony’s keynote speaker, Chancellor’s Professor Emerita Penny White, spoke to the values at the center of the event. A first-generation graduate of both East Tennessee State University and Winston Law, White later served at every level of the Tennessee judiciary, including the Tennessee Supreme Court.
“I know that you arrived at this moment, not despite who you are, but because of who you are,” White told the graduates. “I know that you have courage, that you have determination, and that you are strong… And I know your background taught you that.”
The event also highlighted the accomplishments and stories of the graduating class.
Among the graduates honored were Vivian Lee and Mariel Cuellar, the two 3L members of the 2025-2026 First-Gen Student Advisory Board. Lee, the daughter of non-English-speaking Korean immigrants, helped establish the law school’s first Asian Pacific American Law Students Association chapter, served as vice president of Law Women and as a Legal Process Fellow. She was a member of Tennessee Law Review and received the Outstanding Law Student Award from the National Association of Women Lawyers. She plans to join the law firm Swift Currie after graduation.
Cuellar, the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants, served as vice president of the Latino Law Student Association and on the executive boards for the Tennessee Law Review and the Pro Bono Organization. She also served as a Legal Process Fellow and received the university’s Volunteer of Distinction Award. She will clerk for the Honorable J. Daniel Breen of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee after graduation.
Cuellar and Lee delivered remarks on behalf of the graduating first-gen students, building on White’s themes of perseverance and opportunity. “Each of us in this room, in everything we do, embody the American dream,” they told attendees.
For Winston Law, the ceremony celebrated both the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 and the continued growth of a community dedicated to mentorship, opportunity, and access.
Approximately 20 percent of Winston Law students identify as first-generation college students, as do about 40 percent of the law school’s full-time faculty.
The Winston Law First-Gen Program began in 2023 with a First-Gen Welcome Lunch organized by Michelle Kwon, professor of law. The program has grown into a broad community-building effort that includes mentorship programming, alumni engagement, professional development opportunities, and Winston Law’s newly established First-Gen Student Organization.
Beginning this fall, the law school will also award its first scholarships dedicated specifically to first-generation law students. The scholarship fund was established and fully endowed through a personal gift from Rosenbaum, an extraordinary investment by a faculty member that demonstrates Winston Law’s strong commitment to supporting first-generation students and expanding access to legal education.
