Sense of Community
“One of the many perks of being a member of the PSP is that you get to meet so many people and make friends. This are not just any friends, they are friends that have similar ambitions and are motivated to work hard for a brighter future. The friends I have made make me feel like I belong. I have made 2 close friends and many friends in the program who continue to inspire me to not only work hard in school, but also enjoy every moment of my life in school.”
–Lindsey, (Natural Science/Valedictorian)
“PSP helped me to grow as a person. Having the support of a peer mentors with support at all times was the best part of the program. The ability to meet with my advisors whenever I needed to plan out my graduation requirements, discuss classes, grades, and how the class was going was very helpful.”
— Jacqueline (Natural Science ’19) Transferred to Rutgers Newark
“I personally believe that without the opportunities the Pathway Scholars offered, I would not be the scholar I am today. This program opened up many gates for me including internships, PTK scholarships, and access to a wonderful family.”
–Jorge (Statistics ’19) Transferred to Rutgers New Brunswick
PEPSICO Mentorship Program
“I felt a warm support from my mentor. She advices and encourages, shares and simply listens to me in a very open way. Mentors are people who …genuinely will support who you are and what you want to accomplish. They have no interest other than help you realize your visions….To me, the Million Women Mentor Program blossomed into a great supportive system both professionally and personally encouraging to run the mile. If I had to give an authentic advice to someone willing to succeed in a new environment? Get guided by a mentor! Nobody knows everything.”
–Adelajda (Natural Science)
“I benefited so much from having a mentor in my sophomore year in Bergen Community College. Sometimes all the answers are in you, but you just need someone to help you figure them out. My mentor is a wonderful person, who inspires me with his achievements. He works in the treasury department of Pepsi Co. During our numerous conversations he gave me in depth insight of what his job consists of. Together we analyzed my strengths and weaknesses and looked over different positions and jobs in the finance/accounting field, so I would get a better understanding of them. I have the faith that as a prepared and hardworking woman in the STEM field, I will apply my knowledge and skills, to make a gain for humanity.”
–Doreta (Accounting)
“Some of the most helpful aspects (of PSP) were the workshops, especially the stress management one. It really helped me because I’m constantly stressed from balancing school and work. The PepsiCo mentorship helped me the most. As a first generation college student, it was nice to have someone encourage me and keep me on the right path. If it wasn’t for my mentor, I probably would have dropped out of college.”
–Erin (Natural Science ’19) Transferred to NJIT
Summer Research Internships
“I don’t really know what I’d be doing with myself this summer if it wasn’t for the research project. This is the first job I’ve had that I’ve legitimately and fully enjoyed. There is so much freedom and I can do the work at a nice pace. I love it so much. I feel like I’m doing important things and like I’m really preparing to do even bigger research projects in the future. I feel so fulfilled every day after I finish all my work. It’s not just busy work, it’s really fun.”
–Mallory (Natural Science)
“The best part of this internship was the opportunity to invest in my passion and learn a set of new skills while applying the knowledge I’ve gained from my STEM classes. The internship offered a variety of choices to pick from, and the freedom to express myself as an individual as well as collaborating with other students who shared common goals. This invests towards our future by exposing us towards the nature of work we will be contributing to and helps to give students a better vision of what field interests them. Our mentors helped me by providing the necessary sources and gave me a better understanding of research from their experience and perspective.”
–Ramya (Computer Science)
“The summer research project was a little challenging at first. The project made me want to research more about it. There was a lot to go over, but with the help of my team and our experts we were able to overcome it. Just by asking questions and researching information we can show people how interesting technology can be.”
–Vinny (Computer Science)
“The best part (of the summer internship) is interacting with different people who have a lot of knowledge, and to be able to learn and practice something new, which is amazing. I learned from the internship how to work as a team. I learned how to professionally talk to participants, since communication was the main key to keep everything organized. My professor was amazing at knowing the equipment and training was the favorite part of the internship.”
–Jacqueline (Natural Science)
CAREER SKILLS WORKSHOPS
“I’ve definitely learned a lot from the workshops that were provided to me. Especially in the Etiquette Dinner! It was super informative and I learned a lot of things I never knew before. Now I am confident that if I ever have to have a dinner interview I won’t mess anything up. The mock interviews were really helpful too, and fun! Not just a boring lecture, they included us in a bunch of fun games that taught us fun things.”
–Mallory (Natural Science)
“The Dress to Impress workshop has helped me greatly in personal growth. Knowing what attire to wear when going to an interview or other events. There were different types of clothes you can wear besides just regular clothes that I didn’t know before, but now I know. Business Casual is my personal favorite. The workshops and summer internship program were really helpful. Having the opportunity to attend the workshop and learn some interesting information about stuff that would help me in the real world.“
–Vinny (Computer Science)
LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER CAREER PANEL DAY
“The overall experience of what goes on behind the scenes was good. I didn’t think that so much work went into maintaining the center. I am an IT major and when Bruce came up to talk about his day to day at Liberty Science Center, I was excited. It seemed like a busy, yet exciting job to have. Again, thank you for the opportunity.”
–Marysia (Information Technology)
ACADEMIC SUPPORT/SUCCESS COACHING
“I feel like I really have more support than I ever have before. I have people who believe in me and who I don’t want to let down. It really pushes me to succeed and do my best. It helps motivate me and make me feel better about myself. I feel like I have a purpose and whatever I decide to do I will be helped. I have people to help me if I have trouble in class, and those that will listen to me even if I just need to vent. It really helps me push myself forward when I feel like I want to give up.”
–Mallory (Natural Science)
TUTORING SESSIONS
“The tutoring and counseling had helped me out greatly. The tutoring sessions helped me out during the semester. Having the extra help and math and science walk in center had been really helpful. The counseling sessions helped me get the answers to the questions that I was looking for. Also any concerns I had they answered to the best of their ability.”
–Vinny, (Computer Science)