SPMP Mentee Orientation Webinar

I am applying for SPMP to be a mentee, so I attended the mandatory orientation and took notes.

Introductions and Agenda

  • Matthew (Maddie) is the SPMP coordinator and a fifth-year double major in Political Science and Anthropology at UC Berkeley. They transferred to Berkeley after attending PCC for two years.
  • Catalina Cortez is the advisor for SPMP and an Academic Achievement Counselor at the Transfer Student Center at Berkeley. She was also a transfer student who attended Dansza College and transferred to Berkeley in 2018, and was a Starting Point mentor.

Starting Point Mentorship Program (SPMP) Overview

  • What it is: SPMP is a course hosted by the UC Berkeley Transfer Center that supports community college (CC) students prepping to transfer to a four-year university, especially UC Berkeley.
  • Mentorship: CC students are matched with student mentors from UC Berkeley who have gone through the transfer process.
  • Mission: The program encourages underserved community college students to explore their academic potential and prepare for transfer to a four-year university. This includes returning students, first-generation students, student parents, students from low-income backgrounds, and disabled or underrepresented students.
  • Program Intent: The program is designed to connect students with each other; it is not a competitive program and does not automatically guarantee admission to Berkeley.

Mentor Roles and Expectations

  • What mentors do: Mentors communicate and meet with mentees throughout the semester to share insight and provide guidance about the transfer process. They send out weekly emails, organize meetings via Zoom or phone, and can assist with UC applications and Personal Insight Questions (PIQs) or admissions essays. Mentors also share resources and information about life as a transfer student at UC Berkeley.
  • Mentor Class: Mentors attend a weekly class where they create outreach material to help CC students and may participate in SPMP student panels and campus tours.
  • Topics to discuss with mentors: Study strategies, campus resources, services, enrichment opportunities, exploring academic potential, goal setting, the mentor’s transition to Cal, academic rigors at UC Berkeley, and where to eat in Berkeley.

Next Steps

  • The webinar recording will be posted in the Google Drive folder.
  • In the upcoming days, mentees will receive an email from SPMP confirming receipt of the agreement form and acceptance into the program.
  • Mentors will reach out by the week of February 17th.
  • Another webinar, in collaboration with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, will be held on February 20th, covering an admissions overview.

Additional Advice

If a mentee is still deciding on their intended major, they should choose the major they think they will apply with or the one for which they want the most mentorship. SPMP tries to pair mentors and mentees with similar majors or colleges within Berkeley. The fall SPMP is more focused on PIQs and admissions, while the spring SPMP is more oriented toward mentor experience and sharing campus information.

Conclusion