June 19, 2011

At UC-San Diego, First-Generation Students Get Help From Retired Professors

Experienced scholars guide the uninitiated in an unusual mentoring program

At UC-San Diego, First-Generation Students Get Help From Retired Professors 1

UC San Diego

At an end-of-year reception, first-generation students receive congratulatory remarks from the chancellor of the U. of California at San Diego. Emeritus professors served as their mentors, helping them navigate their freshman and sophomore years.

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UC San Diego

At an end-of-year reception, first-generation students receive congratulatory remarks from the chancellor of the U. of California at San Diego. Emeritus professors served as their mentors, helping them navigate their freshman and sophomore years.

By Molly Redden

When Lila Gitesatani arrived on the University of California's San Diego campus as a freshman, she had a multitude of questions: How should she choose a major, go about selecting courses, or even explore activities on campus? But Ms. Gitesatani was limited in where she could turn for advice. As a first-generation college student, she says, her parents could be of no help.

Within weeks of starting class, however, she was paired with Barney J. Rickett, a retired professor who could