Making the Most of Your UCI Experience

Life, to some, can be equated to a game with all sorts of twists and turns, so much so that they actually made the game of “LIFE” to encapsulate its truly non sequitur tendencies. Every once in a while, we are given a card that boosts us to the next level or gives us the tools to defeat the next challenge. One of those “cards” is mentorship.

Formal mentorship was a foreign concept to me pre-college, but when I found out about it, I was open to the idea. Mentorship is a game changer because it essentially connects you with people who have already played in the level of the “game” you are going into. For me, that new game was college. Filled with tons of scary deadlines, twists and turns, and mistakes waiting to happen and be learned from, I looked toward mentorship as a sailor does toward a lighthouse in a dark and stormy night.

My first encounter with mentorship was through the Student Parent Orientation Program (SPOP). After completing SPOP I was encouraged by my orientation leader to give the mentorship portion a try. Open to all forms of help as a first-year, I applied and got an insightful first two quarters at UCI guided by a student mentor, who helped me choose similar mentorship programs that introduced me to different students and leadership positions. In addition to opening doors to new opportunities, I also received help with what GE's or professors to take based on the class setup and how interesting said class was. Since the program is geared toward helping students through the first year, I received a lot of help with registering for classes, how to get to classes faster, and where to find resources on campus. Being a mentee not only gave me a support system, but also helped me expand my skill set because I was learning from every encounter I had with my mentor.

Mentorship programs on campus usually appoint a mentor per person, then have programming that includes both mentors and mentees. This was beneficial because in the SPOP mentorship program not only did I have my own mentor, but I was also able to interact with other mentor/mentee groups and expand my network with them.

At UCI, there are tons of opportunities for mentorship. Along with the SPOP mentorship program, I’ve been involved in Visions Leadership and the Antleader Mentorship Program. Those two programs not only provided me with life defining skills, but they also unlocked leadership opportunities through which I got to dive deeper into what it means to be a mentor by becoming one myself.

Lead Mentor Chloe with Warrior Family Mentors and Mentees in the Antleader Mentorship Program

From these three mentorship programs, the overarching theme that I collected was that we all have something positive to contribute to the lives of others. Mentorship provides folks with a platform to do that, a platform to pass on what you’ve learned, whether it’s the easiest ways to get to class or just where all the nicest bathrooms on campus are! And the best part is that anybody can become a mentor or mentee; it doesn’t have to be through an official program. Simply by reaching out to a family member or a colleague, you’re taking steps toward crafting a mentorship relationship.

For me, a collection of community became easily accessible in my first months at UCI and I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be the student I am today without the mentors who have aided me on my journey thus far. When it comes to UCI, mentorship opportunities are seemingly around every corner. Through various culture clubs, major-specific clubs, special interests and more, the mentorship gold mine is just waiting to be tapped into.

Learn more about Visions Leadership
Learn more about Antleader Mentorship

Top photo: Chloé (second from right) with fellow Visions Leadership Mentors