SAGE SCHOLARS SPARKS SUCCESS
|
In 1999, the University of California Office of the President launched a five-year pilot program to strengthen the pipeline of talented and diverse students entering the workforce. At three UC campuses, the Student Achievement Guided by Experience (SAGE) Scholars Program would provide high-performing, low-income students with training, mentorship, financial support and – critically – paid internships at local companies.
“This is a transformational program that takes a hands-on, holistic approach to supporting students and empowering them to design the life they want to live,” said Neda Moayedi, director of the SAGE Scholars Program. “We use a strength-based approach to support our scholars in discovering their strengths and becoming more engaged to thrive in their education and in all areas of their lives. SAGE enhances each scholar’s leadership capacity and promotes career readiness competencies for successful transitions from college to career.” |
UCI SAGE Scholars, Class of 2020
|
Two decades later, the SAGE Scholars Program continues to thrive at UCI. More than 570 students have completed the program, many of whom were the first in their families to attend college. Graduates of the program have gone on to careers at top companies including Apple, Broadcom, Pacific Life and Wells Fargo.
When SAGE started at UCI, CFEP Founding Director Juan Francisco Lara recruited Karina Hamilton to lead it. An attorney who served on local boards, Hamilton had both a passion for helping underserved students succeed and strong connections in the business community.
Right from the start, SAGE found support from UCI’s CEO Roundtable, which was then a group of about 80 chief executives doing business in Southern California. Chuck Haggerty, then-chairman of Western Digital, emerged as a steadfast champion, and helped rally other local leaders.
When SAGE started at UCI, CFEP Founding Director Juan Francisco Lara recruited Karina Hamilton to lead it. An attorney who served on local boards, Hamilton had both a passion for helping underserved students succeed and strong connections in the business community.
Right from the start, SAGE found support from UCI’s CEO Roundtable, which was then a group of about 80 chief executives doing business in Southern California. Chuck Haggerty, then-chairman of Western Digital, emerged as a steadfast champion, and helped rally other local leaders.
|
“We believe as a group of CEOs that we need to support diversity in the workforce,” Haggerty said in 2002. “Secondly, once we can get a good student working on a part-time basis, the likelihood of us recruiting that student on graduation is very, very high.”
The program aims to ensure its students are career-ready and can hit the ground running wherever they go to work. UCI students who qualify based on significant financial need and grade point average are invited to apply to the program in their junior year. Over the years, the program has expanded, and today serves about 75 to 85 students annually, as they lay the groundwork for life after graduation, whether that’s starting a career or continuing their education. |
UCI SAGE Scholars Program retreat, 2005
|
Once accepted into the program, SAGE Scholars (who call themselves SAGErs for short) embark on two years of professional development that includes workshops and classes on leadership, resumé-writing, interview skills, professional development, communications skills, and tools needed to succeed in the workplace. The students are then matched with sponsor companies for paid internships, where they receive further mentorship and professional development.
While many students decide to pursue graduate school, or land other jobs as a result of their internship experience, some ultimately accept full-time offers from the companies where they interned. Isabella Angulo, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 2021, secured a job at FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, where she previously interned.
While many students decide to pursue graduate school, or land other jobs as a result of their internship experience, some ultimately accept full-time offers from the companies where they interned. Isabella Angulo, who earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 2021, secured a job at FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, where she previously interned.
/
This is a transformational program that takes a hands-on, holistic approach to supporting students and empowering them to design the life they want to live. SAGE enhances each scholar’s leadership capacity and promotes career readiness competencies for successful transitions from college to career.
Director, SAGE Scholars Program |
“I have had a challenging college experience,” says Angulo. “But my academic success and professional success began to thrive once I had the guidance from the SAGE Scholars program.”
The program’s guidance, and part of what Moayedi calls its “holistic approach” includes one to two hours of counseling each quarter, which may focus on goal-setting, success strategies, or addressing an urgent need in the student’s life. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program helped distribute 22 emergency grants from the OC Resilience Fund to cover food, housing, technology or course materials. This approach to supporting the whole student contributes to the program’s 100 percent all-time graduation rate. Funding for the program has fluctuated over the years, but one emerging source of support stands out: dozens of alumni who now find themselves successfully established in their careers. And, of course, local corporate and foundation support remains a lynchpin of the program. |
“As an alum of UCI, I appreciate the value of a UC degree and want to assist future generations achieve that milestone,” said Kevin Tsao ‘10, chief strategy officer for ENO Brands, which has supported and offered internships to SAGE Scholars since 2016. “While I was not part of SAGE, we choose to philanthropically support the program because we’ve seen first-hand the meaningful impact it has on underrepresented students, both in their educational and career aspirations. Our company has been enriched by the experiences and interactions with SAGE and it will continue to be a core area of our philanthropic efforts. I encourage all companies in our community to get involved with SAGE and consider offering an internship to a UCI SAGE Scholar."
The preceding story is part of the "CFEP: 25 Years of Impact" series, honoring the people, programs and partnerships that have helped impact millions of students, teachers and families over the past quarter century. View the entire series here.
