Reimagining the Meiklejohn Fellows Program

Collaborators and Key Learnings

Throughout the development of this project, I have been fortunate to collaborate with dedicated members of the Amherst College community who are actively invested in supporting first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students. I want to recognize and appreciate the critical work being done by the Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning, particularly through the Meiklejohn Fellows Program. This program already offers valuable support for FGLI students through internship funding, career exploration opportunities, and individualized advising. My aim is not to replace or restructure this foundational support, but rather to expand its reach and deepen its long-term impact by centering student leadership and voice within the program.

I also acknowledge the broader institutional ecosystem that contributes to FGLI student success, including the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and Amherst’s identity-based resource centers. While these offices may not be directly involved in the Meiklejohn Fellows Program, their continued efforts in equity work and holistic student development provide crucial scaffolding and potential for future collaboration. In addition, I am grateful for the research and models developed by external scholars and institutions that have advanced national conversations around FGLI mentorship. These studies have provided both theoretical grounding and practical examples that shaped my thinking and affirmed the viability of the model I propose.

A pivotal moment in the shaping of this project came during my March 28 meeting with Emily Griffen, Lewis-Sebring Executive Director for the Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning. Our conversation clarified the history, structure, and goals of the Meiklejohn Fellows Program and offered important context for my proposal. I learned that the program began approximately eight years ago as a direct response to Loeb Center research and donor interest in supporting first-generation students’ career development. Early data showed that FGLI students tend to engage with career services later in their college experience and pursue internships at lower rates compared to their peers. The program was designed to proactively address this gap by supporting early career engagement and helping students navigate the hidden curriculum of higher education.

Through our discussion, I also came to better understand the rationale behind the current opt-in model of the Meiklejohn Fellows Program. While I initially viewed this as a potential barrier to access, I learned that the opt-in structure emerged from an earlier iteration of the program where automatic enrollment caused confusion. There was a lack of clarity about whether being part of the Meiklejohn Fellows Program was an identity or a structured opportunity, and participation in programming was inconsistent. The current model helps students actively choose to engage, which has resulted in higher follow-through and more meaningful involvement. This insight has influenced my thinking around program design, particularly the importance of early intentional engagement as a foundation for long-term participation and community-building.

Another key area of discussion was the former peer mentorship structure, which had once been co-managed by the Loeb Center and the Class & Access Resource Center (CARC). While well-intentioned, this model ultimately proved unsustainable due to unclear goals, high financial and oversight demands, and a lack of a stable professional infrastructure to support student leaders. This history helped me understand why a traditional 1:1 mentorship model may not be the most effective or scalable approach for Amherst at this time. Instead, Emily and I discussed the potential of developing a peer advisory or leadership council within the Meiklejohn Fellows Program—something that would allow student members to lead programming, co-facilitate workshops, and serve as a liaison between members and Loeb staff. This would promote community-building and professional development while avoiding many of the logistical hurdles associated with formal mentorship structures.

Our conversation also raised important questions about supporting upperclassmen within the Meiklejohn Fellows Program. While many career resources exist, there is a noticeable gap in programming tailored specifically to juniors and seniors who are navigating transitions to post-graduate life.

Emily emphasized the importance of asking what it means to “hold” students during their final years at Amherst and how professional development offerings could better reflect the career development realities that FGLI students face at that stage. Her feedback confirmed the need for a more tiered and cohort-based approach to the Meiklejohn Fellows Program—one that recognizes and supports members’ evolving needs across all four years.

Following this meeting, I began drafting a Google Form survey to collect feedback directly from current Meiklejohn Fellows Program members in the classes of 2025 and 2026. These students are uniquely positioned to reflect on how the program has supported them throughout their time at Amherst and whether they feel sufficiently prepared as they enter the latter stages of college and beyond. After receiving thoughtful rhetorical feedback from Emily Moreau, Director of Operations and External Engagement, I revised the language of the survey and composed an outreach email to inform students of my role and the purpose of the project. The email outlined my collaboration with the Loeb Center and explained how the data would be used to help improve support structures for current and future Meiklejohn Fellows Program members. The finalized survey was then handed off to Shannan Fields, Associate Director of Communications at the Loeb Center, who scheduled its distribution to members on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 8:03 a.m.

This collaborative process has underscored the importance of thoughtful communication, institutional memory, and shared ownership when designing programs intended to serve marginalized communities. The guidance, generosity, and candor of Loeb Center staff have been instrumental in refining my approach, and I look forward to continuing this partnership as I work to deliver a final proposal that reflects both student needs and institutional capacity.