What fears or anxieties did you have about going to college?

My anxiety about going to college was acclimating to a different culture as I was an international student. Regarding my First Generation Experience, I am the only one in my family who is a female scientist and to have a Ph.D and multiple college degrees. I had very supportive mentors who helped me a lot with academics and research experiences which provided me all of the tools to be successful academically and professionally. My passion for the GenExcel Mentoring Program stems from my positive mentorship interactions and experiences with freshmen through (1) research programs such as the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and (2), being a Former Faculty In Residence (FIR). My experiences align with the core purpose of GenExcel, which is to pair interested faculty with students of similar interest in order to cultivate meaningful relationships, to support student success, and to increase retention. Specifically regarding student success, my students were awarded 3rd place in local competitions such as the Southern California Institute of Food Technologists (SCIFTS) [2015 – 2016] as well as participating yearly [2015 – 2017] in the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) conferences to disseminate research results bringing prestige and visibility to CSULB. The NCUR is a forum for undergraduate students to showcase their research, scholarship and creative activity (RSCA) in all fields of study and universities across the United States. For the NCUR conference, our posters were selected from among more than 4000 submissions each year.