Each year, Mentor Collective enables student success by building a culture of mentorship on campuses across the country. But that's not the only way we help students thrive in their college experience. Each spring, we also award a number of scholarships to first-generation mentors and mentees. Why? Because access to support - be it academic, social, or financial - is essential to a fruitful college career. Today, we're introducing you to our winners and honorable mention recipients. 

Congratulations to everyone - we're so grateful that you shared your stories with us, and we can't wait to see how you'll shine!

Janvi Kaushal, University of California at Riverside

Role: Mentee
Class: First Year

What are your academic and/or career goals? During my 2nd year at UCR, I aim to get accepted into the School of Business at UC Riverside with a concentration in finance. While I work towards my bachelor's degree, I will take part in several student-lead organizations that allow me to divulge further into the world of business and gain insight regarding internships, resume building, career development, and networking.

I hope to take part in several internship opportunities during my time at UCR so that I can gain real-world knowledge and application skills of the material learned inside the classroom. After obtaining my bachelor's, I will aim to convert one of these internship positions into a full-time job opportunity that I can engage in while working towards my Master's Degree.

Finally, I hope to use my business experiences in the business world and bring them back to my community. I hope to work with the Coachella Valley and use my business connections, administration, and finance skills to bring recourses to the valley that nurtured me since I immigrated to the United States.

What would you like to say to your mentor about your experience? During my time as a mentee in the 1st year Mentor Collective Program at UC Riverside, I was paired with Katherine Pulido. I would like to say thank you and show my appreciation towards Katherine and her unwavering support in getting me settled into college, especially as a 1st generation student. Katherine was always available to offer me support and guidance, regardless of the topic or concern. With Katherine's help, I was able to become familiar with and join several on-campus organizations that help me build my business and networking skills.

As a scholarship applicant, you provided tips for mentors/mentees. Is there a piece of advice you would provide to your younger self? A piece of advice that I would provide to my younger self is to not stress over things that are out of my control. Throughout high school, I was constantly stressed regarding schoolwork, assignments, extracurricular activities, and even part-time work that I would never allocate time to unwind and work on myself.

One thing college has taught me is that I can not be the best version of myself academically and professionally if I do not prioritize my physical and mental health. It is extremely significant to allow yourself time to destress and look away from work, even if it is only for five minutes. Whether this means going outdoors or simply engaging with friends, the only way to accumulate less stress is to give yourself proper rest and care.

Our favorite piece of Janvi's submission: this thoughtful reflection on the particular value of mentorship to first-generation students!

"Although I have the complete support of my parents and family, there are certain aspects of the college experience that they will never understand, nor have the capacity to advise me through. As a result, finding this mentorship program and getting matched with a mentor has been a great privilege and special support system in the absence of family experience."

Learn more about UCR's Campus Collective program and how you can get involved, as either a first-year or transfer student mentee or a mentor. Students are matched with mentors who are there to offer guidance as students acclimate to life in college.  Mentors will assist mentees in navigating the many adjustments that students often face when attending college for the first time. Mentoring pairs connect by text, phone, email, or virtual meeting platform. 

Email us at engage@ucr.edu with questions.