2023-24 BMC lead mentors

Berkeley Mentorship Cohort

Developing true engineering leaders

At Berkeley Engineering, we don’t just talk about equity and inclusion — we have robust programs in place to bolster retention and a sense of belonging for every member of our community.

The Berkeley Mentorship Cohort (BMC) is a year-long program. Getting admitted to Berkeley Engineering is a big achievement in itself. Succeeding here will challenge you in ways you might never have expected. That’s why we offer a robust mentorship program to give each one of you the individual support you need.

The program is open to everyone, even if they don’t identify with an existing family.

Program mission

To use the power of mentorship to increase access and equity for everyone in our community. Providing a welcoming culture where all Berkeley Engineering students feel valued and supported by peer mentors, faculty and staff, our goal is to ensure that our students feel prepared to fully unlock their individual and collective potential by continuing to pay it forward. BMC serves scholars at every stage of their academic careers, creating a pipeline of support and enhancing our students’ holistic wellness.

Mentorship families

BMC is subdivided into seven family cohorts as a way to celebrate the diversity of our college. Even if you choose a family, we recognize that there will be intersectionality and we will be giving you many opportunities to meet and interact with other BMC students throughout the year. We want to offer you a space that highlights your background and interests so that you can also bring your experiences, passion, and ideas while building strong relationships with your peers.

The PREP mentor family is designed to provide individualized mentorship, professional development opportunities, and academic support to first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students in the College of Engineering. As part of this program, you’ll build strong relationships with your mentor or mentee, increase your awareness of campus and off-campus resources, and gain the skills needed to succeed at Berkeley.

Designed to provide individualized mentorship, academic support, and professional development opportunities to self-identifying women in the College of Engineering, this family is composed of students who want to share their experiences navigating the world of Engineering as women, and provides a space of empowerment for mentors and mentees to build community as engineers at Berkeley and beyond.

Designed to provide individualized mentorship, professional development opportunities and academic support to junior transfer students at Berkeley Engineering.

Dedicated to supporting all students who don’t identify with any of the other families. Many of the Culture family mentees are international or out-of-state students

Dedicated to highlighting experiences to empower all LGTBQ+ identifying engineers and help them create a sense of belonging in the College of Engineering

This family is dedicated to supporting undocumented students who have been affected directly or indirectly by U.S. immigration constraints. The program aims to empower undocumented students to achieve their academic and career goals, and to become leaders in the field of engineering.

Dedicated to assisting engineers at academic risk. This inspiring family shares experiences and resources to show that academic probation can be overcome with structure and support

Goals of the program

For mentees:

To increase students’ retention and success
To provide individualized and ongoing mentorship from peers
To increase campus acculturation and sense of belonging in the engineering community
To mitigate the academic, professional, and social challenges faced by many students

For mentors:

To increase campus acculturation and sense of belonging in the engineering community
To expand students’ networks and build community
To develop leadership skills and confidence in guiding a mentee

Components

Individualized mentoring: Mentors and mentees meet each month throughout the academic year. These meetings will enable students to seek counsel and share aspects of their growth.

Group mentoring: Pairs of mentors and mentees connect with each other throughout the academic year to develop community and receive specific aid in areas where individualized mentoring may not be sufficient. Mentors build a network of support so that their mentees can rely on their mentoring community skills.

Workshops and community-building events: Mentors and mentees can participate in community-building events as well as workshops addressing academic excellence, professional development, leadership and mental and physical wellness.

Staff support and training: The BMC and partners provide training to equip staff members with tools for effective communication, academic excellence and professional development.

Alumni mentors: Berkeley alumni are invited throughout a year to speak to mentors and mentees about their experiences. These presentations are a great opportunity to network and find information about career paths and internships.

Simon Gonzalez Brambila, 2021-22 PREP mentee, 2022-23 PREP mentor with his former mentor and now best friend, Alan Ulloa

As a Mexican-American first generation college student coming from a low income community I know the struggles that some of the incoming class will battle and I want to be there to get them through it. I know for some students it will be their first time away from home and I want to make Berkeley their new home. I want my mentee to be happy and successful at Berkeley.
Simon Gonzalez Brambila

2024-25 application

The 2024-25 program is pairing first-year undergraduate students with peer mentors. Please note that not all mentors and mentees will be selected. There are a limited number of spots and selection will be based on major, interests, and other matching criteria. If selected, mentors will receive a stipend for the year.

Mentor application

Application open until August 30, 2024

Mentors must:

Attend all events hosted by the program
Engage in monthly one-on-one meetings with your mentee(s)
Attend bi-weekly training sessions
Attend monthly check-in meetings with their lead mentor

Mentee application

Priority deadline August 29, 2024

Mentees must:

Attend all events hosted by the program
Engage in monthly one-on-one meetings with your mentor

We also encourage mentees to enroll in an E98 course. This pass/no pass 1-unit seminar will serve as a means to connect with other incoming students and to acquire learning strategies, time-management skills, and information on campus resources.

This work is made possible through the generous funding and support from Andrew Yang and the Berkeley Engineering Fund.