News & Media

As the first person in her family to pursue a four-year degree, Fatima Meza navigated the college admissions process with the help of her high school teachers. She knew she needed a small, supportive environment to make the most of her college experience. She found...

Community service has been a central feature of the Kessler Scholars Program since its founding, and for Queens College senior Leslie Moran, it has guided her undergraduate journey. A service project that brought Kessler Scholars together to write letters describing...

When Bryan Kongnyu arrived at Cornell University as a first-generation college student from Danbury, Connecticut, he felt overwhelmed by the prestigious Ivy League institution. The Kessler Scholars Program made sure he didn’t face it alone. Program workshops, designed...

For Anthony Osorio-Bravo, the Kessler Scholars Program at Johns Hopkins University has meant far more than just financial support – it has been a source of belonging, inspiration, and purpose. Anthony attributes much of that to the close support of the program’s...

Reflecting on her experiences as a first-generation college student, Xiao Lin Zheng, a 2025 graduate of Syracuse University, points to the support and community she found as part of the Kessler Scholars Program as helping her realize the importance of asking questions...

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...

The Kessler Scholars Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), launched in 2023 as part of a program expansion to 10 new partner institutions, is unique within the Kessler Scholars Collaborative in its focus on connecting and supporting...