Elizabeth Whitmore, a Kessler Scholar and 2025 graduate of the University of Michigan, recalls being excited to start school in kindergarten. Unlike many of her peers who clung to their parents and cried, she confidently waved goodbye to her mom and entered the classroom, eager to learn. She approached the start of her undergraduate journey as a first-generation college student in much the same way.

When Elizabeth arrived at U-M in the fall of 2021, campus activities still were returning to normal after intermittent shutdowns over the prior two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Kessler Scholars Program structured campus tours for incoming scholars and older students alike, Elizabeth gamely joined in, learning from and alongside her newly-assigned peer mentor. It was just the start of an important relationship that supported Elizabeth’s early transition to college and inspired many of her own efforts to give back.

“I had a really good relationship with my Kessler Scholars mentor,” Elizabeth said. “It’s really relieving to know that there’s someone who shares similar aspirations to me, who also comes from a similar background. I’m [now] able to tell my mentee about the resources I took advantage of, which is what my mentor did for me.”

Elizabeth’s strong bond with her mentor, in turn, motivated her to become a mentor for younger Kessler Scholars as her undergraduate career progressed. At the same time, she took up the program’s encouragement to explore additional opportunities to enhance her undergraduate experience. During her junior year, she studied abroad in both Sweden and Denmark, becoming the first person in her family to travel internationally. She embraced the opportunity with enthusiasm, and it deepened her commitment to positively impact others’ lives.

Elizabeth Whitmore with peers from the School of Social Work at U-M.

At every step of her college journey, Elizabeth said that she has been driven by a desire to help others. Her dreams of becoming a physician are rooted in a passion for service, sparked by a volunteer experience during a college course. That opportunity led her to the emergency room at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, where she discovered a profound connection to pediatric care. 

As she looks ahead to graduation, Elizabeth is excited to explore new creative hobbies, including crocheting, writing, painting, and photography as she recharges from the intensity of her undergraduate studies. She also plans to continue her volunteer service and sees her professional path ahead as being centered on giving back, a mindset she credits the Kessler Scholars Program for helping to shape. 

“Community is really important. I’ve experienced that firsthand from being in the Kessler Scholars Program.”

– Elizabeth Whitmore

“Community is really important,” Elizabeth said. “I’ve experienced that firsthand from being in the Kessler Scholars Program. I want to ensure that all my past and future experiences and communities I join are authentic and that I genuinely enjoy them. I want to make sure that I put all the energy I have into making my experiences meaningful because I want to make sure that I’m proud of them and myself.”