Santa Clara University LEAD Scholars Program

Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca Named Knight-Hennessy Scholar Senior double major receives prestigious Stanford scholarship

Paying It Forward LEAD Scholar Shirfei Tay ’24 shares her experience securing a career-defining Apple internship and overcoming imposter syndrome.

Tomorrow during Day of Giving, your gift will impact LEAD Scholars in a variety of ways! Check out how your gifts will impact LEAD Scholars as well as our challenges for this year! Let's go 🤩

Mark your calendars for April 10th! We are 2 weeks away from SCU's Annual Day of Giving, where we hope you'll join us in going and make a difference in the live of all First Gen Broncos!

Celebrating all of the wonderful womxn of LEAD and beyond on this 💐

February was a whirlwind of inspiration and connections for our LEAD Scholars! From our empowering Alumni Networking Night, to the insightful LEAD Symposium, and the energizing Mesa Bronco event, it's been a month filled with fun and community! Cheers to a month of fostering meaningful connections and laying the groundwork for future successes!

Happy holidays from all of us in LEAD, and cheers to amazing things our students will do throughout the new year!

We had an incredible First Gen Celebration Week filled with empowerment, inspiration, and community! Thank you to everyone who joined us for the FLI Forward conference and Fireside Chat with President Julie Sullivan. Hearing the stories of our First Gen Broncos, embracing and honoring their unique journeys and achievements was our favorite part. Here's to the continued support and celebration of our First Gen Broncos! 🌟

‘Why I Do the Things I Do’ LEAD Scholar Saron Weldemariam ’26 shares her journey as a first-generation immigrant from Eritrea to Santa Clara University.

Happy First Gen Week!

"Over the past two decades, and especially over the past few years, we have had to ask ourselves time and time again — what does it mean for LEAD and SCU to “show up” for our first-gen students and support them in their success and wellbeing?"

Our Director, Dr. Erin Kimura-Walsh explores what it means to show up for First-Gen students and the ways that LEAD has helped our First Gen Broncos!
Read more: https://conversationsmagazine.org/showing-up-for-first-generation-college-students-then-now-3f634f1d963e

Showing up for first-generation college students: Then and now By Erin Kimura-Walsh

Get ready to this week!!! A week full of inspiration, empowerment, and success stories from all of our First Gen Broncos. Join us for all of the events we have this week celebrating all there is being . 🎓✨

FLI Conference - Santa Clara University The FLI Forward conference will highlight the experiences of First-generation and Limited-Income students in higher education though an engaging keynote speaker, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities.

Welcome to Santa Clara University LEAD Class of 2027!!! We’re excited to watch you all start your journeys as First Gen Broncos!!!🎓🤩♥️

Leading Together With a legacy of mentorship, LEAD Scholars like help prepare first-gen Broncos for college, life, and exciting internships. LEAD celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

🎉 Calling all LEAD Scholars Program Alumni! 🎓🎉
Join us in celebrating a momentous milestone - the 20th Anniversary of the LEAD Scholars Program! 🌟 As we come together for this year's Grand Reunion, let's reminisce about cherished memories, reconnect with old friends, and celebrate the incredible journey we've all embarked on since our first days as First Gen Broncos! 🎓💪
Whether you were part of the inaugural class or one of the recent graduates, your presence at this special event is what makes it truly unforgettable. 🤝🗓️ Mark your calendars and clear your schedules because we can't wait to see your smiling faces and hear your inspiring stories once again! 📅✨
📍 Date: Saturday October 14th, 2023
🕰️ Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm
🏛️ Location: Malley Fitness Center
Prepare for an evening of heartwarming conversations, laughter, and a chance to reignite the passion that brought us all together through the LEAD Scholars Program. 🌟❤️ Let's showcase the impact of our collective achievements and honor the legacy of this transformative program.
Spread the word and invite your fellow LEAD Scholars to join us in making this celebration one for the books!

Registration is now open, so register below!
https://www.scu.edu/alumni/events/reunions/

Can't wait to see you all there! 🎈

The 4th of July isn’t the only thing we’re celebrating today🎆
We’re excited to announce Verónica Villa as LEAD’s new Associate Director of Curricular and Co-Curricular engagement!

In her new role, she will be overseeing the LEAD curriculum; Koret Fellowship Program which provides stipends for unpaid internships, undergraduate research and other opportunities; and career and leadership programming. Congrats Verónica!

President Julie Sullivan issued a statement on today’s disappointing Supreme Court affirmative-action decision.

“Santa Clara University is deeply disappointed in today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, which effectively outlaws the consideration of race in university admissions nationwide… As a Jesuit, Catholic, university, creating equitable, inclusive, and diverse communities that enrich our campus learning environment is foundational to our faith-based mission.”

Read President Sullivan’s full statement: https://go.scu.edu/43VCrgB

This past Saturday we watched as our LEAD Scholars leveled up by one degree!! 👩🏽‍🎓👨🏼‍🎓🥳👩🏻‍🎓👨🏾‍🎓

First-Generation Student Finds Community at Santa Clara University Hydeia Wysinger enrolled in Santa Clara University (SCU) in 2021 after graduating from Holy Names High School in Oakland. Higher education has always been a goal for her and she researched several institutions in her senior year to find which one would be the perfect fit for her and her academic pur...