What it means to be FirstGen: G. Orr

What “FirstGen” Really Means

Being FirstGen isn’t just a label — it’s a lived identity shaped by experience, challenge, and intentional growth. For many, it means navigating uncharted territory without a roadmap, forging paths that inform the way you lead, create, and show up in community.

For Georgette Orr, founder of FirstGen Designs, being FirstGen was not something she fully understood until she stepped into spaces where her presence stood out — especially in professional and academic environments. Through those experiences, she began to see that firsts aren’t just achievements — they are statements of resilience and representation.

Leading Without a Blueprint

Many first-generation graduates find themselves in situations where the “how” feels unclear. You figure it out as you go.

Georgette has shared publicly that she believes doing your job well positions you to be an example, mentor, inspiration, and potentially a trailblazer. The women and leaders who came before her — women who widened doors for others — motivated her to perform at her best, not just for herself, but for those who would follow in her footsteps.

That truth is something she carries into every collection, every message, and every FirstGen Stories piece: what you accomplish matters — not just for you — but for the ones who will stand behind you.

Beyond Achievement: Identity & Purpose

For many FirstGen individuals, success isn’t simply about reaching a milestone. It’s about visibility, authenticity, and staying rooted in community while achieving. It’s about filling spaces where you once felt there wasn’t room for someone like you — and then making room for others.

This is why FirstGen Designs exists: to create apparel that does more than look good — it represents. It tells a story of:

• persistence when the path was unclear
• ambition when encouragement was sparse
• identity embraced even in unfamiliar places

Being FirstGen means showing up — not because you have all the answers — but because you are committed to moving forward, carving your own way, and inspiring others to do the same.

Representation as Action

To be FirstGen is to understand that your success is connected to your community. It’s not just performing for yourself — it’s shining in ways that make others feel possible.

Whether it’s academic achievement, professional success, cultural expression, or community leadership, FirstGen identity is rooted in representation. It’s a declaration that our lives and accomplishments are meaningful — and worth sharing.

Turning Experience into Legacy

Being FirstGen isn’t about perfection. It’s about perseverance. It’s about taking what you learned, who supported you, and how you showed up — and using it to uplift others.

It’s why FirstGen Stories exists — to honor journeys that might otherwise go untold. To remind us that identity isn’t just something we hold inside — it’s something we wear, share, and show up with every day.

What Being FirstGen Feels Like

Ask any FirstGen graduate what it means, and you’ll likely hear:

• “I was the first, but not the last.”
• “I belong here.”
• “I made space for the next.”
• “My story matters.”

And that’s what FirstGen Designs celebrates — not just the destination, but the courage it took to get there.