UNC-Chapel Hill hosted the Kessler Scholars Collaborative’s fifth annual Summer Convening on July 22-23, bringing together leaders from the national network of 16 institutions, including Carolina.

The Kessler Scholars Collaborative was founded at the University of Michigan and is supported by the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation along with Bloomberg Philanthropies. Its campus partners share knowledge, celebrate successes and tackle challenges collectively, ensuring continuous improvement and stronger outcomes for first-generation students.

Carolina’s Kessler scholars program specifically supports first-generation scholars from rural North Carolina, many of whom major in science, technology, engineering or math.

“The reason this work is so interesting is because our campus teams are continually learning from each other,” said Gail Gibson, the collaborative’s executive director. “They’re sharing ideas; they’re leaning into best practices. So this chance to be together in person is just the perfect incubator for spark and enthusiasm about the work we do.”

At the convening, some of Carolina’s Kessler scholars made it clear why the program matters.

“I’ve gone from a person who was really quiet to this extroverted person who has a lot to say,” said Finn McMillan, a sophomore majoring in studio art. “Being a Kessler scholar has given me the confidence to say what I want.”

The event also featured testimonies from Kessler scholar graduates, insights into the collaborative team’s alumni tracking and storytelling efforts and speeches from Carolina senior leaders, including James Orr, senior vice provost for undergraduate student success.

Candice Williams— who supervises the Kessler scholars program at Carolina — shared the ways Kessler scholars receive support and unique opportunities at Carolina.

One leading example is a partnership with Summer Bridge, a six-week summer residential program that provides academic enrichment, community building and experiential learning to help incoming first-year Carolina students transition from high school to university life.

Kessler scholars also have access to:

• Dedicated program staff including assistant director Candace Jones and mentors for academic, social and professional development guidance
• Chances to build community through service, leadership development and social events
• Up to $7,000 in annual loan reductions for students who qualify
• Up to $4,000 in grant funds for a high-impact practice experience where finances are a barrier to participation, like study abroad, research or a summer internship.

Williams has seen how students become even more capable thanks to these resources.

“We’ll be at nearly 80 students this fall,” Williams said. “These kids are smart. Many of them are majoring in STEM and they are walking away with leadership experiences and the ability to point back to them with powerful articulation of how those experiences helped them grow professionally and personally.”

Kessler scholars Cecilia Medina, a junior majoring in management and society, and Irving Garcia Gomez, a junior majoring in information science, also joined McMillian at the convening to share how the program has bettered them.

Medina, who also works as a mentor at Summer Bridge and intern at the University Development office, has seen the power of people “investing in you” as a Kessler scholar.

“They’re showing that they believe in you,” she said. “I think it makes having faith in yourself easier.”