Leadership/Mentoring Conferences target first-generation students, students with disabilities and students from historically marginalized and underrepresented minority communities. The conferences allow the students to learn about resources available to help them complete their college education. These students are often at-risk and the least likely to graduate within five years. Providing these students with coaching, additional resources and the opportunity to be mentored by faculty, alumni and recent graduates will have a significant impact on their ability to be successful.
To create a more inclusive campus, it is imperative to give at-risk students a fun and relaxed opportunity to meet other students who have similar challenges in acclimating to the university environment. This conference creates an opportunity for students to be themselves and to be appreciated for who they are, despite the challenges they face in getting a college degree.
