Jourjina Alkhouri initially thought the students in her biology class would search for champions outside of the classroom. But when the idea was brought up to her that champions could be peers, she gave it a second thought. She was in awe of how quickly students embraced their secondary role as champions for each other. Shared experiences and understandings fostered quick, but meaningful connections. As Jourjina soon realized, “Who is more going to know about what you’re goin

At My Circle of Champions, we see the impact of women every day. They show up as Champions, faculty, mothers, sisters, mentors, and community leaders. They also show up as students committed to their education, balancing responsibilities, overcoming barriers, and continuing to pursue their goals with determination and resilience. For many students, the encouragement of a mother, professor, mentor, or friend helps transform doubt into confidence. At the same time, the women en

Champions play an important role in a student’s journey, but support looks different for every student. Each month, we share reminders and practices to help Champions support their students in ways that are thoughtful, respectful, and student centered support. This month, Nancy, our Champion Success Coordinator, shared guidance on budgeting and how to approach conversations about money with students. Learning how to manage expenses is an important part of helping students mak