Corey Garza

Students in the Valiant Mentoring Program meet with professionals at a recent STEM careers networking event on campus. The program supports first-generation students in the College of the Environment as they navigate college’s “hidden curriculum” to help them succeed during school and pursue careers in the environmental sciences.

Moses Flores is a second-year student in marine biology and aquatic and fisheries sciences. Having grown up in Seattle, coming to the University of Washington for undergraduate studies was a lifelong dream.

Moses Flores

But as one of the first people in his family to attend college, Flores found it difficult to navigate university life. 

This year has been different. Flores is part of the inaugural cohort of students in the Valiant Near-Peer Mentoring Program, which “has really helped me find my footing through my undergraduate journey,” he said. 

Like Flores, many first generation students come in without a good understanding of what it means to go to college, said Corey Garza, associate dean for inclusive excellence at the UW College of the Environment.

“You may not know how to network, or connect with faculty, and back home you might not have a support structure,” explained Garza, who was also a first-generation student. “You’re a bit of a trailblazer in some ways.” 

A ‘monumental task’

The Valiant Near-Peer Mentoring Program was developed to provide first-generation students with a supportive professional network and training to navigate the often-unspoken rules and expectations in higher education as they pursue their studies in the environmental field. Karen and Lee Fairchild, whose donation funds the program, said they selected the word “valiant” for the program name because it conveys the “monumental task of being the first person in your family to attend college,” they explained. 

“When you’re a first-generation student, coming into college is really intimidating. The Valiant Mentoring Program helps me feel like there aren’t as many barriers to success.”  

-Lisa Mancinie

The program is split into two cohorts — one for first- and second-year students, and another for third- and fourth-year students.

The cohorts meet biweekly for structured seminars. The topics are chosen to meet students where they are in their academic journey: first- and second-years discuss topics such as how to connect with faculty and apply for internships, while third- and fourth-years write graduate school and job applications, and develop post-graduation career plans. 

The program served 12 students in its pilot year. Program leaders plan on expanding the curriculum and cohort size to support more students next year.

Opening possibilities, reducing barriers

As an undergraduate student, Lee Fairchild was on a very different path as a business major at the University of California, Berkeley. Then, one day, a geology professor told him he had a lot of promise in the Earth sciences and encouraged him to consider a geology career.   

“I switched my major to geology within a couple of days,” Fairchild said.

Corey Garza

Valiant students and STEM professionals at a recent networking event.

Fairchild went on to receive a master’s and a doctoral degree in geology at the University of Washington, and had a successful career in the field for more than three decades. Now, he is largely retired from the industry, but he never forgot the mentor who inspired his career. 

With their donation, the Fairchilds hope to foster more moments like these: simple, yet powerful experiences that change a student’s understanding of what they can achieve. 

Lisa Mancinie, a third-year geology major, is another Valiant Program student who says their undergraduate experience has been shaped significantly by the program. Financial and personal circumstances have led Mancinie to pause her studies twice: first to join the U.S. Navy, and later to work.

This was her first year back in school after a three-year gap, so Mancinie has been “getting back into the flow of things and relearning how school works,” she said. 

Mancinie applied to the Valiant Program looking for community, connection and inspiration from other first-generation students. 

“I want to be a geologist, but I don’t know a single person who is a geologist in my life outside school,” Mancinie said. “I barely know anyone who graduated from college. Having people who I can relate to, who have a similar background to me and were able to be successful when they were in my shoes is really helpful and encouraging.”

Lisa Mancinie

Back in the fall, Garza gave Mancinie a piece of advice that stuck with her. He told her she would be presented with a lot of opportunities, and she should say yes to as many as possible. 

“You can still say no to things,” she explained. “But don’t say no because you’re scared you can’t do it. Say no because you don’t want to.” 

This ethos has shaped Mancinie’s approach to her studies. This year, she’s conducting research on the Earth’s crust through the Identity, Belonging and Inquiry in Science program. She’s also connecting with other students as an undergraduate representative on the graduate student community committee. 

“When you’re a first-generation student, coming into college is really intimidating,” Mancinie said. “The Valiant Mentoring Program helps me feel like there aren’t as many barriers to success.” 

---

Interested in learning more about how you can support students in this program and others in the College of the Environment? Reach out to Christine Consolacion, major gifts officer, for more information: cjoycec@uw.edu.

Story by Tess Wrobleski. Photos by Corey Garza and Lisa Mancinie.