Mentorship has been a key part of life for Marisol Jimenez Espinoza, POLS ’19. Her family has always valued education and hard work, and as a first-generation college student, Marisol credits mentorship from counselors, professors, managers and colleagues in supporting her to where she is today including applying to graduate school at Stanford. “Having a network of people who have knowledge in different sectors creates something big and amazing,” she says.

After seeing how impactful these networks were, Marisol co-founded the Resilient 1st Gen student group at the GSE to build community among students, faculty, staff and prospective students. “Many people said they didn’t realize how much they needed that space,” she says.

Marisol hopes the group continues to grow after she finishes her nine-month program, and that she can keep expanding mentorship opportunities to underrepresented communities. “My accomplishments wouldn’t have happened without friends, family and mentors who continue to motivate me along the way.”