Each year, the tradition of the Kessler Scholars Coin Ceremony provides a warm and festive welcome to first-year scholars as they begin their journeys as first-generation college students. For Alie Savane, a Kessler Scholar and Class of 2025 graduate of Syracuse University, the event also helped shape the trajectory of his college experience.
During his sophomore year, Alie was selected to deliver remarks at that year’s Coin Ceremony, held at the home of the Syracuse chancellor. The opportunity provided him with a platform to share his story as a first-generation college student. Since then, he has been able to tell his message about learning to lean on community and failing forward with larger audiences. Alie has shared his message with over 6,000 students and families at the 2024 New Student Convocation and later delivered a TEDx talk, “Redefining Your Life,” at Syracuse.
Alie has drawn from his personal experiences on the stage and off through his service as a peer mentor for the Kessler Scholars Program, a role that he described as providing a unique opportunity for growth during his undergraduate experience.
Alie Savane speaking at the 2024 New Student Convocation at Syracuse University.
“It’s good to see people grow,” Alie said. “I’ve seen how I’ve grown and being able to interact with students at such a critical period of their academic career is so important to me. I love being somebody that people could just come to when they need to speak about something. That’s always a great feeling for me.”
Beyond mentorship, Alie said the comprehensive design of the Kessler Scholars Program helped him to navigate his undergraduate path. In particular, Alie pointed to the opportunity to participate in off-site retreats led by Kessler Scholars staff at Syracuse as providing him and fellow students with the chance to explore their identities, engage with nature, build community, and prepare for life after graduation through resources such as a workshop on personal finance. For Alie, this kind of distinctive programming offered both connection and clarity as he navigated college and sought to also serve as a role model for young people he grew up alongside back home.
“I want to do well so I can be the first one to graduate in my family and provide for my family,” Alie said. “I want to show people back home in the Bronx, where I’m from, a place where not many people go to college, that college is attainable. I want to be that representation. Just hearing the passion and how proud people are to be in this space while at the [Kessler Scholars] retreat, while also discussing the pressure they feel for being the first, was a very affirming moment for me.”
“I want to do well so I can be the first one to graduate in my family and provide for my family. I want to show people back home in the Bronx, where I’m from, a place where not many people go to college, that college is attainable. I want to be that representation. Just hearing the passion and how proud people are to be in this space while at the [Kessler Scholars] retreat, while also discussing the pressure they feel for being the first, was a very affirming moment for me.”
– Alie Savane
That affirmation fueled Alie’s drive to seek out more distinctive opportunities available to him as a student at Syracuse. One such opportunity came the summer before his senior year, when he studied abroad in Spain. There, he immersed himself in a new culture, sharpened his Spanish language skills, and embraced broad personal growth. He recalled that while adjusting to a new environment was initially difficult, it ultimately became a refreshing journey of independence and exploration. He ventured into new places with an open mind, and each adventure helped to reveal a new perspective on himself and the world around him.
Each of these opportunities reflected for Alie the importance of the Kessler Scholars Program and the roadmap it offered for his college experience. Looking ahead, Alie’s journey at Syracuse University will continue as he pursues a master’s degree in public administration to become an advocate for more equitable health policies. Eventually, he plans to apply to medical school.
“I’m very grateful for the program,” Alie said. “I was given the tools to figure things out, but I [also] had to take initiative on my own, because I feel like the same tools are available to others, but they don’t always act on them. So I’m very happy and proud of myself for taking advantage.”