Transitioning to life at UCI comes with a steep learning curve. This is especially true for first-gen students, who aren’t always sure what to expect when they walk onto campus for the first time. If you asked, many first-gen students would describe their first Fall Quarter as an onslaught of […]
ssi-stories
Introducing the New Director of the First Generation Faculty Initiative!
As we celebrate UCI First-Gen Day on November 8, 2021, we would like to highlight some of the incredible ways that first-gen faculty are supporting UCI’s first-gen community. This article is dedicated to first-gen faculty member Long T. Bui and his plans as the new director of the First-Generation Faculty […]
Your Impact at UCI: Supporting SSI
Every year, Student Success Initiatives (SSI) offers programs, services, and resources that support UCI’s diverse student body. As a unit, we are committed to creating equitable and inclusive environments for students of all backgrounds. In addition to helping our students with academic achievement and professional development, we also help them […]
SSI Announces Stand-Alone Transfer Student Center
As UCI prepares to welcome students back for Fall 2021, there are many exciting developments taking place on campus. One of the changes that students can look forward to is the reestablishment of the Transfer Student Center (TSC) as a stand-alone center. Previously housed within Student Success Initiatives (SSI) as […]
UCI’s Division of Undergraduate Education Receives Funds from The Nicholas Endowment for Virtual Onboarding of 9,000 Students
In October 2020, UCI’s Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) received a $50,000 grant from The Nicholas Endowment. In light of the global pandemic that has forced students to an online learning environment, this funding is more important than ever. The Nicholas Endowment was established in 2002 with the vision of […]
Staff Highlight: Joanna Hernandez, Assistant Director of Student Success Initiatives
Since 2015, Joanna Hernandez has been an essential member of UCI’s Student Success Initiatives (SSI) team. As SSI’s Assistant Director, Joanna works with SSI counselors and coordinators to provide support and supervision to several student-facing programs. This includes First-Generation Student Programs, Transfer Success Programs, the DREAM Scholars Program, the Gateway […]
Giving UCI’s Underrepresented Students an Early Start
If you asked Adeeva Myers, Counselor/Coordinator for Gateway Initiatives at UCI’s Student Success Initiatives (SSI), she’d tell you that it’s never too early to prepare for your freshman year of college. With the global pandemic forcing nearly all university experiences to a remote learning environment, offering incoming UCI students a […]
How UCI’s FYRE Scholars Program Helps Students Find Community and Purpose
At the University of California, Irvine (UCI), students are encouraged to learn, develop and grow. However, learning at UCI doesn’t just happen in classrooms and lecture halls—it takes place across campus as students engage with each other, faculty and staff. With every new connection that students make, they open themselves […]
Bridging the Gap: How SSI Empowers Student Confidence
For most students at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), excelling academically and achieving all their goals sounds like a dream scenario. However, for biological sciences major Britanny Duong, dreams aren’t always as they seem: “At the beginning of my first year, I was extremely nervous about my classes because […]
How UCI’s FYRE Scholars Program Empowers Former Foster Youth
For third-year anthropology major Deana Polyvko, the start of her college experience at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) was marked by personal challenges. “I had financial insecurity during my first two years at UCI, as well as food insecurity and a lot of stress due to commuting and family […]