Growing up as the daughter of Colombian immigrants, Valentina Gil thought a college degree was out of reach even though her mother stressed the importance of higher education.

But Gil was able to accomplish what she once thought would be an impossible dream. With the help of Rutgers Future Scholars, which provides mentoring and services starting in middle school and a full scholarship to college, Gil will earn her undergraduate degree in May and work toward pursuing a master’s degree in social work.

While many COVID-19 restrictions and mandates have eased, allowing college students to return to the classroom, continued racial strife, negative effects from frequent social media usage and the aftermath of the pandemic continue to impact student mental health throughout the U.S.

Access Week programming highlights civic learning and engagement; faculty research on diversity, equity and inclusion; research presentations from McNair & LSAMP scholars; and student-led discussions of access and equity.

Ashley Crawley and Jamin Brako express appreciation for Educational Equity programs keeping them engaged and on track during the pandemic.

COVID-19 may have disrupted university life, but it did not disconnect the Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement’s (DICE) Educational Equity programs from the students they are charged to serve. Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math-Science, Student Support Services (SSS), and the McNair Scholars Program are federally-funded TRiO programs that form the Educational Equity group, which promotes the success of historically underserved students on the New Brunswick campus.Summary goes here

COVID-19 may have disrupted university life, but it did not disconnect the Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement’s (DICE) Educational Equity programs from the students they are charged to serve. Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math-Science, Student Support Services (SSS), and the McNair Scholars Program are federally-funded TRiO programs that form the Educational Equity group, which promotes the success of historically underserved students on the New Brunswick campus.

A virtual symposium on equity and inclusion explores the challenges facing higher education today.