New partnership supports first-generation students in their senior year and post-graduation
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) and Fort Lewis College (FLC) are partnering to better support first-generation students.
The Springboard Fellowship is a yearlong program designed to aid first-generation students during their senior year and post-graduation. The fellowship will help students build social capital and cultivate the skills necessary to strengthen and grow their professional networks.
The program includes professional leadership training, private networking events, one-on-one mentoring from industry professionals and a conference in Washington D.C.
Students who complete the fellowship will receive a $5,000 award, which will go towards offsetting their costs associated with starting a career, including transportation costs, relocation costs, purchasing business attire and living expenses.
“The Springboard Fellowship is a chance for CMU and FLC to create opportunities for graduates to thrive in the workforce beyond college graduation. The community of support graduates receive should not end when they graduate, rather it should ramp up even more to support the challenges they will encounter post-graduation,” said CMU Trustee Charles Dukes, who coordinates youth development opportunities to enhance and improve the educational ecosystem as an educational strategist for the Wend Collective.
The inaugural Springboard Fellowship cohort will launch September 2022 and culminate in June 2023. Students should plan on committing 8-10 hours per month toward the fellowship.
By June 2023, fellows will have developed the preparedness they’ll need to confidently tackle networking events, presentations and job interviews, and ultimately find success in their professional journeys.
CMU rising seniors can apply at Supportingcmu.org/springboard-fellowship and FLC rising seniors can apply at fortlewis.edu/springboard. Applications are due June 15.