Mission Statement
The EPSS Family Mentorship Program (EFMP) aims to build a platform where EPSS students in various stages of their undergraduate and graduate studies can connect, share, and learn from each other to enhance their personal well-being, academic success, and professional development. In the process, we want to build a socially cohesive and inclusive department where every student and alumnus realizes that they are an invaluable and integral part of the EPSS family.
At EFMP, we aim to give family members opportunities to move forward with their professional development as well as cultivate bonds between EPSS peers. The pilot EFMP program was successfully held in Spring Quarter 2021 with 36 participants, and we look forward to growing our community with each passing year!
Structure
Under this program, all participating students are part of the ‘EPSS Family’ or the ‘extended family’. The EPSS family is then sub-divided into mentoring groups or ‘nuclear-families’. Each nuclear-family consists of lower-division undergraduate students (1st or 2nd year), upper-division undergraduate student (3rd year or above), ‘junior’ graduate students (1st to 3rd year) and ‘senior’ graduate students (4th year or above). Over the years, this structure will give each member of the EPSS family the opportunity to be a mentee and a mentor.
Schedule
EFMP is a year-long program. Applicants can fill out an online application form at the beginning of Fall Quarter each year. Nuclear families will be constituted by the organizational council using the information provided on these forms, based on the indicated interests and expectations of the applicants. Depending on capacity, applications may be accepted at the start of Winter Quarter as well.