In celebration of its 150th anniversary, the Cal Alumni Association (CAA) announces the launch of its new Cal Alumni Mentors program. First-generation, low-income, underrepresented, and underserved* UC Berkeley undergraduate students will be given an opportunity to build their social capital by being paired with alumni who share similar identities. Through this holistic year-long program, students will learn tactical and practical skills to thrive at and after their time at Cal.
CAA created the Cal Alumni Mentors program in recognition of the changing demographics of the Cal student population—29% of the university’s students are the first in their families to graduate from college, 26% are Pell Grant recipients, and 23% are from underrepresented groups. The Cal Alumni Mentors program addresses the inequities faced by today’s student cohort and gives students opportunities to tap into the robust community of nearly half a million living Cal alumni.
CAA created the Cal Alumni Mentors program in recognition of the changing demographics of the Cal student population—29% of the university’s students are the first in their families to graduate from college, 26% are Pell Grant recipients, and 23% are from underrepresented groups.
Alumni can give back to the campus community, as program volunteers, by sharing their stories and experiences with current students. Alumni will also develop mentoring skills to ensure that they are engaged and effective mentors.
As an undergraduate student at Berkeley double-majoring in political science and ethnic studies, Alfonso Salazar ’90 demonstrated his commitment to student success through his involvement with MEChA and United Students of Color, and through his service on a University task force to establish an ethnic studies requirement at Berkeley. Now, as president of the Cal Alumni Association and senior director for KPMG LLP, Salazar will also become a Cal Alumni Mentor. He encourages “all alumni to sign up to be mentors so we can provide community support for the next generation of alumni to succeed at Cal.”
Recruitment is now open for student mentees and alumni mentors for the 2022–23 academic year. Applications will be accepted through September 30.
To learn more, visit alumni.berkeley.edu/mentorship. If you have any questions about the program or application, or want to learn more, contact tbn@alumni.berkeley.edu.
*CAA has identified Black/African/African American, Chicanx/Latinx, Native American/Alaska Native, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander, and LGBTQ+ as underrepresented and/or underserved groups on campus.
