Many new students on Grand Valley State University’s campus are looking for the same sense of community that they had before they came to college, whether it is for a common interest, a shared faith or a hobby that they have. For the students who are looking to build themselves as leaders and professionals while taking active part in a community, the multicultural scholars program is a valuable resource.

The multicultural scholars program is a multi-faceted career and professional development program that is implemented through the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Kristie Scanlon, assistant director of the OMA and the faculty head of the program, said the program also serves as a community for the students of color on campus and a mentoring source for students to get help and guidance through their time in the program.

“It’s really crucial for students of color to really find that connection and that mentoring piece,” Scanlon said. “Whether it is through me, or if they develop relationships organically.”

The multicultural scholars program has recently changed its image and voice, including a renaming of the program from the previous multicultural cohort program to the more scholarly name.

The structure of the program changed, too – the students used to be grouped by major, but now they are classified by class standing. First and second year students are part of the “foundational class,” while students in their third year and beyond are part of the “professional class.”

“It separates the group a little more developmentally, so we can offer seminars targeted more to where their needs may be,” Scanlon said. “A first year student really needs that extra education around the transition from high school to college. A junior probably doesn’t need that so much.”

Since the foundational class is geared more toward younger students, it meets weekly in order for the students to establish a relationship with each other and build a community. There are presentations throughout the semester geared more toward issues that new students would face, like exploring leadership styles, making a smooth academic transition and finding a passion through career mapping.

The professional class is exactly that – focused on preparing older students to get ready for their professional life during and after college. The class meets less often, but it also has seminars throughout the semester on subjects like writing an effective personal statement, how to apply to graduate school and financial planning.

“That’s how we were able to really be more specific in the seminars, so that they’re really impactful for students at the time where they are in their career at GV,” Scanlon said.

Students are welcome to join the multicultural scholars program at any point in their academic career, but senior student and former president Brandon Fitzgerald, who has been a member since his freshman year, encourages students to join early in order to get comfortable with their community at college.

“Coming from a community (at home) and feeling like part of a community, I didn’t want to come somewhere else and then struggle to find something to get involved in,” he said. “It was nice because not only did the people look like me, but they were comfortable and welcoming at the first event.”

Fitzgerald also had the opportunity to connect with and mentor some of the younger students during his time in the program. Though it wasn’t a formal mentorship, Fitzgerald said it was interesting because he’d connect with so many students that he wouldn’t have met otherwise and try to help them navigate the jungle of GVSU together.

“It’s definitely nice to go into a room where everyone understands what it means to be in predominately white institution,” he said. “It’s like, ‘I can do this just like everyone else can.’ It’s really nice to have that community.”

The multicultural scholars program is built to help students connect with each other, and Fitzgerald said he has benefitted from the program in many different ways.

“Besides the community and the resources, (and) being able to learn all of the stuff that you wouldn’t know otherwise, I feel like there’s just a lot you could get out of it,” he said. “All of the people that I met because of the program helped me become the student I am today. It’s really professional development and personal development, all that you would want to get as a student from an organization.”

The multicultural scholars program welcomes all students of all backgrounds to join their meetings. For more information about the multicultural scholars program, visit www.gvsu.edu/oma.