For Johns Hopkins senior and first-generation college student Trace Terrell, a central part of his Hopkins experience has been mental health advocacy. Whether serving as president for the Active Minds suicide prevention club, joining the student advisory board for Student Health and Well-Being, or pursuing internships in health policy, Terrell, a public health studies major, has worked hard to improve resources for his fellow students.
Living in Baltimore has been a big adjustment, says Terrell, who grew up in La Pine, Oregon, a rural town of roughly 2,500 people. So where does a mental health advocate turn when they need community and support? For Terrell, one answer is the Kessler Scholars Program, a multi-university initiative that offers community, mentorship, and financial support to first-generation, service-minded undergraduates studying the humanities and social sciences.
"There's a lot of resources for first-generation students, but there's nothing quite like the Kessler Scholars Program," Terrell says. "When I think about what resource I used the most in college, Kessler was definitely my go-to."
Johns Hopkins University's Kessler Scholars Program, which serves 74 students and 33 alumni, recently received a $1.1 million grant from the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, a testament to the program's ongoing success. With these new funds, the university will be able to extend the program for another four years, expanding and enhancing its impact among JHU undergrads, one in five of whom identify as first-generation.
"The Kessler Scholars Program exemplifies the best of what we aspire to at Johns Hopkins—expanding opportunity, fostering academic success, and empowering students to pursue their highest ambitions," JHU Provost Ray Jayawardhana says. "Through the continued support and partnership of the Wilpon Family Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, this transformative program will deepen its impact on our remarkable first-generation students and further enrich our shared academic community."
Adds Nick Watson, an education program manager at Bloomberg Philanthropies and a first-generation college student himself: "Through projects like the Kessler Scholars Collaborative, we are providing colleges with new, innovative, and evidence-based resources and support they need to broaden postsecondary opportunity. ... We are committed to ensuring that higher education is a place for opportunity for all students, regardless of their family's income or educational history."
Being the first in one's family to navigate college can be financially, socially, academically, and logistically daunting. Although more than half of undergraduates nationwide are first-generation, only 24% earn a bachelor's degree within six years, much lower than the 60% among undergraduates with college-educated parents.
The Kessler Scholars Program aims to disrupt this pattern through staff and peer mentorship, offering first-generation students the community, support, and guidance they need to thrive. In addition to mentorship and social programming, students have access to financial support for research, internships, and other high-impact experiences during the summer.
"Sometimes it can be intimidating to be a first-gen student," Terrell says. "The reason I really like the Kessler Scholars community is being able to relate to people who share the same identities and backgrounds and, more importantly, the struggles. It's just so validating.
"When I was struggling the most with my mental health, I never really thought I would graduate high school. Coming to Hopkins and having amazing experiences each year has been so rewarding and personally meaningful. ... I'm doing a lot of things that I never really imagined were possible before. Hopkins has really been a launching pad."
More information about the Kessler Scholars Program at Johns Hopkins is available on the Student Affairs website.
Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University
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