Stanford Summer Fellows Program supports FLI students’ transition to sophomore year
The eight-week residential program offers first-generation, low-income (FLI) students the opportunity to do research, micro internships, and immersive coursework during the summer between their first and second year.
Thirty-five undergraduates took part in a Stanford first this summer – a fully funded eight-week residential program with a stipend provided, to give students the opportunity to participate in micro research, internship experiences, and immersive coursework without finances as a barrier.
The pilot program, housed within the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE), aims to support first-generation and or low-income students (FLI) in foundational coursework and connect them with experiences and opportunities early in their academic journey. It’s part of a broader “Leveling the Learning Landscape” (L3) initiative within VPUE and funded by an anonymous gift to support L3.
“The fruition of the Stanford Summer Fellows Program – advocated by FLI students, on behalf, and for FLI students – is a program that is successful because of its deep roots in community and collaboration,” said Bethlehem “Betty” Aynalem, director of the Leland Scholars Program (LSP) and Stanford Summer Fellows Program (SSFP). “This transformative initiative is a result of community partners like the FLI Student Success Center (FLISSC), Stanford Summer Session, CareerEducation, Undergraduate Research, and internship and research mentors coming together to create an ecosystem our fellows can thrive in.”
Summer fellows enroll in a course of their choosing for credit and are matched with a four-week research experience and a micro internship.
Susie Morales, assistant director of SSFP Susie Morales added, “At the core of the program is the understanding that equipped with the correct systems of support, there is nothing our fellows cannot do.”
Three Stanford Summer Fellows reflect on their experiences in the program.
