LEAD Scholars

We are writing to offer our support to the LEAD community amidst the recent incidents that have brought the racial injustice of our society to light. Like many of you, we are reeling from the death of George Floyd. We also realize that this is just one of many incidents that highlights the continued killing of Black people at the hands of police officers, and the ongoing structural oppression of people of color, with particular impact on our Black community members. 

While we all experience emotions in our own unique ways, LEAD staff members are feeling many of the emotions that you probably are, sadness, anger, pain, weariness. We are also feeling both hopeful and hopeless. We realize that significant structural change needs to take place both at Santa Clara University and the broader society to shift the inequality that exists. It is daunting. At the Vigil for Racial Justice, alum Kimberly Henderson called SCU to task. Since she graduated over twenty years ago, little has changed in the racial landscape of our campus. As an alum who graduated a year after Kimberly, I (Erin) agree. 

At the same time, we see hope in all of you. In the ways that you show up each day as first-generation college students to stand up to the structural inequalities in our society--your voice in classes, your academic achievements, your involvement in activist communities on and off campus. Your presence at SCU is an act of bravery and defiance. 

The LEAD community is also a diverse community-made up of students from many different racial, ethnic, socio-economic and geographic backgrounds who have the common thread of being first-generation college students. We urge you to join us in recognizing our own backgrounds, and as result, the ways we experience both marginalization and privilege. Let’s use our privilege to create space for marginalized people, especially Black people, to voice their experiences and lead us in creating the change that is needed. 

We are here to support you as individuals and a community. As LEAD Council shared in their statement, “We are all here for each other. That’s part of what makes LEAD so special.”

We are also here to learn from you. Please tell us how we can make LEAD and SCU more just spaces. We promise to continue to advocate for sustainable and substantive change. We are committed to you, our beloved students. We are committed to creating a campus and a world that is a better place for you and for students after you. Let us support each other on this long road to justice. 

LEAD Collaborates with 'Empowered Students' to Provide Career Coaching

Dec. 11th, 2018

Empowered Students is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that empowers first-generation and low income students to land life-altering internships and jobs. Our mission is to empower first-generation and low-income college students with the skills, confidence, experiences, and networks needed to land life-altering internships and jobs upon graduation---which lead to meaningful careers, lives of impact, and positions of leadership. These outcomes radiate a positive ripple effect with family members, high school friends, and members in their hometown communities.  https://www.empowered-students.org

FALL QUARTER 2020 UPDATE: LEAD staff is currently working remotely and LEAD Commons is currently closed.

Back at campus, we are located in Alameda Hall (in between RLC's Graham and Finn). The LEAD Commons is located downstairs in Alameda 106 (walk towards the Amazon lockers), and the LEAD Offices are located upstairs on the second floor in Alameda 201, 202, and 204.

The LEAD Scholars Program staff is also here to support you via email, phone or video chat. If you need help with anything, please contact us: Erin Kimura-Walsh at ekimurawalsh@scu.edu; Andrea Jackson at asjackson@scu.edu; and Alma Llamas at allamas@scu.edu.