SAGE Winter/Spring Newsletter

Dear SAGE Community,

As we welcome the Spring quarter and the exciting opportunities that come with it, we reflect on a busy and successful Winter filled with meaningful workshops, powerful networking events, and the introduction of our Cohort #26. This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the SAGE Scholars Program, a milestone that reflects both our growth and the essential role of community support in shaping our scholars' futures.

We are deeply grateful to our partners, donors, and alumni who continue to help us create opportunities for our scholars to thrive. Together, we are helping SAGE Scholars break barriers, build connections, and prepare for the next phase of their journeys.

We welcomed our newest cohort of scholars, who are already demonstrating their promise. Our Winter Workshop Series provided invaluable learning experiences, laying the foundation for their career readiness and future success. Additionally, our Leadership Summit proved to be a highlight of the season, fostering collaboration and offering students opportunities to connect with mentors and alumni while gaining essential leadership and life skills.

As we look ahead, we are particularly excited to announce our 25^th Anniversary Giving Day, which will provide an opportunity to further support our students’ growth. We are excited to continue building on the foundation of the past 25 years and are grateful to you for being part of this journey.

Thank you for your continued support, and please read on for more exciting updates from the SAGE community.

With gratitude,

Welcoming Cohort #26

We're thrilled to introduce the newest cohort of SAGE Scholars to our community! With this new class, we continue to expand our impact and support even more bright, ambitious students. These scholars join the ranks of our current cohort, which now numbers 80 active students in the program. We are proud to see students from a wide range of 35 unique majors and 13 academic schools come together to learn, grow, and succeed.

80

14

Scholars pursuing

two or more degrees

35

Winter Career Readiness Series Highlights

Our Winter Workshop Series kicked off with a strong focus on career readiness and professional development, providing our scholars with the tools they need to navigate the ever-evolving job market. We were thrilled by the engagement from our new cohort, who dove into a series of hands-on sessions covering key topics such as resumes, cover letters, interviewing skills, elevator pitches, and leveraging AI in the job search.

These workshops serve as the foundation for the essential career and life skills our scholars need to succeed, helping them meet the changing demands of the job market and global landscape. It was a great start to the year, and we look forward to continuing to provide our scholars with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the professional world.

Annual SAGE Leadership Summit Recap

This year’s SAGE Leadership Summit, centered around the theme “A Bite of Reality”, provided scholars with hands-on experiences designed to tackle real-world challenges they will face as they transition from college to career.

We were proud to partner with SchoolsFirst Credit Union to bring a financial education simulation to life. Scholars engaged in an interactive simulation where they had to make key financial decisions, covering everything from budgeting and expenses to saving for the future. This immersive experience provided them with essential financial skills and an understanding of the challenges they may face after graduation.

The afternoon session continued the theme with “Career Conversations: A Passport to Networking”. During this session, SAGE alumni led roundtable discussions, sharing their personal experiences navigating the professional world. The alumni offered candid insights on topics such as overcoming challenges as first-generation professionals, managing toxic work environments, and building confidence in networking. These conversations not only provided practical career advice but also instilled resilience in our scholars, strengthening their sense of community and purpose.

A special highlight of the summit was our keynote speaker, Ryan Foland, who did an exceptional job of setting the tone for the day. Ryan shared his personal journey, offering inspiring advice on how to embrace and learn from our failures. His key takeaways on approaching experiences, both good and bad, with a growth mindset resonated deeply with our scholars, empowering them to face challenges with resilience and confidence.

The Leadership Summit was a powerful and transformative experience that left a lasting impact on all participants. We are incredibly grateful to our volunteers, alumni, and partners who made the summit a success! Their willingness to share their stories and expertise truly helped bring our theme to life and created a memorable and impactful experience for all attendees.

Celebrating 25 Years of SAGE Scholars

As we celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the SAGE Scholars Program, we take a moment to reflect on the journey we’ve taken together. Since our founding, SAGE has been committed to empowering first-generation and low-income students with the tools and resources they need to succeed both academically and professionally. Through the unwavering support of our alumni, donors, and campus partners, we have made tremendous strides in helping our scholars reach their full potential.

This milestone year is particularly meaningful as it underscores the incredible impact our program has had on the lives of so many scholars. From academic support to career development, SAGE continues to foster a community of growth, empowerment, and success.

We’re excited for what the future holds and are grateful to all who have been part of our journey – Once a SAGEr, ALWAYS a SAGEr!!!

This year’s Giving Day will be extra special, as we celebrate 25 years of SAGE Scholars! Mark your calendars for April 22nd and consider supporting the next generation of scholars. Your contribution will help ensure that we can continue to provide opportunities for our scholars, enabling them to excel both academically and professionally.

Follow us on our social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook, and X. For more information, please visit our website. 

Calling all SAGE Alumni! Have you joined the official SAGE Alumni group on LinkedIn yet? Our community page is designed to connect current SAGE scholars and alumni for the purpose of promoting professional networking, sharing ideas and best practices, career advice, and mentorship. 

We highly encourage posts that share job, internship, volunteer, and sponsorship opportunities to our current SAGE Scholars. We invite you to start and contribute to discussions and posts that are focused on promoting the professional and personal development of our community. Feel free to add others from your cohort if you don’t see them in this space, and let’s reconnect our SAGE family!