Blending professional success with community impact, Lorenzo Mendez inspires as an alumnus leader

Lorenzo Mendez ’12 is a featured speaker for the , providing career advice to current University students.

Lorenzo Mendez’s journey from a financial economics and math student at the Ģ����ý to a CFA charterholder and global investor demonstrates how academic roots can inspire a meaningful career. Today, Mendez works with a philanthropic organization focused on financing solutions to address the climate crisis, blending his expertise in public and private financial markets with his commitment to environmental impact.

As a first-generation college student, Mendez credits his time at Rochester as foundational to his success. “The connections I made and the skills I developed there continue to influence my professional path,” he says. His role now involves sourcing investments globally, aligning his passion for finance with pursuing sustainable environmental solutions. One of his proudest accomplishments is contributing to sustainable investment strategies that make a tangible impact.

Beyond his professional achievements, Mendez is deeply involved in the Ģ����ý’s Latin Alumni Network, a group dedicated to fostering community among Latin and Hispanic alumni. Inspired by a desire to connect with fellow graduates and support the Latin community, Mendez has taken on leadership roles that leverage his expertise in finance and global investments to further the network’s mission.

“I believe the network offers meaningful opportunities for engagement, mentorship, and support,” he explains. His involvement has included mentoring students and helping organize events focused on professional development and career advancement. One of his most rewarding experiences has been participating in the , which connects alumni with current students.

Being part of the Latin Alumni Network has also enriched Mendez’s own professional and personal growth. “Engaging with diverse perspectives within the network has expanded my understanding of global opportunities,” he notes. Through events, mentorship, and collaboration, the network fosters community and cultural pride while creating academic and professional success opportunities.

Mendez emphasizes the importance of staying connected to one’s alma mater. “It allows us to give back, learn from each other, and create opportunities for the next generation,” he says. For Mendez, staying engaged is not just about maintaining ties—it’s about contributing to a supportive environment that encourages growth and belonging among students and alumni alike.

Looking to the future, Mendez is particularly excited about the Latin Alumni Network Scholarship, an initiative to support the next generation of student leaders. He encourages alumni to get involved with the Latin Alumni Network, whether through attending events, participating in mentorship programs, or exploring philanthropic and volunteer opportunities. “It’s a great way to connect, share experiences, and contribute to the growth of our Latin/Hispanic community,” he says.

When reflecting on his college years, Mendez has one piece of advice for his younger self: “Embrace opportunities to build connections early, as they can open doors and create valuable relationships for the future.” This mindset underscores his vision for the Latin Alumni Network’s future—a platform that not only connects alumni but also actively addresses social and environmental challenges through collaborative initiatives.

Learn how to celebrate and join Rochester’s first-generation community.

While First-Generation College Celebration Day is celebrated annually on November 8, the Ģ����ý celebrates our first-generation population throughout their academic journey and beyond.

Through resources and outreach to students and families beginning their college search, and mentoring opportunities for current students, and networking events for first-generation alumni, the University is dedicated to empowering and equipping its first-generation community members. These relationships culminate and come full circle when first-generation alumni current first-generation students and connect with their relatable experiences.

What does it mean to be a first-generation student?

At the URochester, a student is identified as a first-generation college student if neither parent/guardian obtained a bachelor’s degree.

Why is this celebrated on November 8 each year?

The Higher Education Act of 1965 was signed into Law on November 8, 1965. This law expanded college opportunities for low-income and first-generation populations. November 8 is observed as National First-Generation Celebration Day.

How can you get involved with the First-Generation Network?

Participate in an upcoming first-generation event on in Rochester/online or on in Washington, D.C.

Join the First-Generation Network to volunteer, mentor, and network with other alumni and resources. Contact �ҳ󾱲��������Ա����鲹��𲵴DzԻ��-�������Dz�, ’10W (MS), ’17W (EdD) to get started or with any questions.

The Alumni Relations & Constituent Engagement office facilitates affinity networks to build stronger connections throughout the University community.

Natalie Lewis ’22N and Evelyn Santos ’23N (MS) are nursing champions for their communities.

Natalie Lewis ’22N

Nurses have always been at the forefront of addressing health disparities and that’s a role Natalie Lewis ’22N and Evelyn C. Santos ’23N (MS), RN, PMHN-BC have never shied away from. They’ve both committed to making a difference as nurses by caring for the mental health and well-being of their communities.

Since finishing her bachelor’s degree in 2022, Lewis has been passionate about contributing to her community through psychiatric and mental health nursing—it’s her way of staying connected to her city. In addition to her studies, she is a per-diem member of the City of Rochester’s Person in Crisis Team, a group who accompanies police on mental health calls. She also previously worked as a nurse at the Monroe County Children’s Detention Center.

Lewis spends most of her week either at school or her two jobs as a nurse and emergency response social worker. Recently, she returned to the Ģ����ý Medical Center as part of the .

Natalie Lewis ’22N

“It’s always been mental health for me. That’s my niche,” said Lewis, who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in the family psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner specialty. “It’s so important, especially for African American families. Most people will tell you— ‘you’re not depressed,’ or ‘you’re not stressed.’”

Growing up, Lewis said she experienced “old-school” beliefs about mental health in the Black community, but she has also seen attitudes start to shift. Her interest in mental health, combined with a natural gift for math and science, led Lewis to pursue her first bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University at Buffalo.

Afterward, Lewis knew she would need an advanced degree if she wanted to work in a clinical setting. She had considered pursuing a master’s in mental health counseling, but she also felt drawn to nursing. A job as a crisis specialist at Strong Memorial Hospital, where Lewis worked alongside the various members of a behavioral health team, helped confirm her interest in psychiatric nursing.

That has also been one of the most rewarding parts of her work as a nurse so far, at both the Monroe County Children’s Detention Center and the hospital. “I’m able to make an impact on the youth and have conversations with them about their current situation and how they can make changes in the future,” she said.

Continuing her education is one of Lewis’ proudest achievements. She is the youngest of six siblings, and the first to go to college. She is grateful not only for the chance to build a better future for herself, but to make her family proud as well.

“Seeing my mom happy and proud is the most important thing to me,” Lewis said. “I want to make her life easier and be able to take care of her. I like knowing she doesn’t have to worry about me.”

Evelyn C. Santos ’23N (MS), RN, PMHN-BC

When Santos joined the School of Nursing’s (LHCS) master’s program, she had already built a reputation at the URochester Medical Center as a fierce advocate for underserved populations.

Her years of experience in psychiatric and mental health nursing have inspired her work. Santos is the former lead nurse of , Upstate New York’s only bilingual outpatient mental health clinic. It’s a role that she developed and implemented herself, leveraging the ability of nurses to build strong ties with the communities they serve.

“Working with the Latino community was personally important to me. I knew my work made a significant impact on patient outcomes,” Santos said.

Rochester’s Latino population has more than tripled since the 1980s, . Nationally, Hispanic and Latino communities in the U.S. to mental health care, such as a lack of cultural competence among providers, immigration status, stigma, or language barriers.

Her LHCS capstone project focused on optimizing depression screenings among the local Latino community.

“The most rewarding part of the role is being an advocate for cultural awareness and providing equitable health care services,” she added. “I completed a needs assessment through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens and implemented the utilization of iPads at my working site to capture depression screens electronically in Spanish,” she explained.

“This project provided an opportunity to improve depression screening rates among our Latino patient population, and also helped improve our collaborative decision-making strategies within the program I support.”

Santos’ graduate capstone is the latest highlight of a career defined by breaking barriers for this growing population. In addition to her role at the Lazos Fuertes Clinic, she served as a consultant to help expand UR Medicine’s Spanish-language neurology clinic, and created a guide dedicated to helping English-speaking nurses overcome language barriers that often interfere with care.

During her time at the School of Nursing, Santos was honored with the Paul J. Burgett Nursing Student Life Award, which recognizes a graduating student who enriches the School’s environment and serves as a positive catalyst for change.

Evelyn C. Santos ’23N (MS), RN, PMHN-BC

Just a few months after finishing the LHCS degree, Santos accepted a promotion within the Department of Psychiatry to a new role as a quality and education nurse. She looks forward to utilizing her nurse educator role to bring diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, trauma-informed care, and the impact of adverse childhood events (ACEs) to the forefront of the department’s educational curriculum.

Both Lewis and Santos knew they were in the right place at the URochester School of Nursing.

Eager to widen her scope of practice as a nurse, Lewis already felt a strong sense of belonging during her time as an accelerated bachelor’s student. Santos knew she could advance her work as an advocate for health equity.

“I enjoy the community within the school,” Lewis said. “I have developed friendships in nursing school that I feel I will have for a lifetime.

“What stood out to me as I explored opportunities for my master’s degree was the UR School of Nursing’s mission to be an inclusive environment,” Santos recalled. “The School of Nursing makes diversity, equity and inclusion efforts a priority. As a minority student, this was important to me.”

This first-year, first-generation student is one of the Black Alumni Network’s first scholarship recipients

Nadia Niyogushima ’26

Nadia Niyogushima’s story begins in the Congo. Her mother, Khadija Ntahoruri, is from this East African country—though she fled her homeland more than 25 years ago, during the First Congo War. Between that and the Second Congo War a few years later, more than 5.4 million people died and another 240,000 became refugees, including Ntahoruri who found safety in Tanzania. Niyogushima and her five siblings were born there a few years later.

In 2007, when Niyogushima was just three years old, a refugee program placed the family in Rochester, NY. She grew up in the city, where she stayed close to her family and her roots, excelled in academics, and in life. Today, Niyogushima is a first-year, first-generation student at the URochester. She is also one of the Black Alumni Network’s first two scholarship recipients.

Growing up

Niyogushima’s mother did everything she could to make sure her children knew about and were proud of their heritage and identity. For instance, they all took African dancing and drumming lessons from a neighbor. Ntahoruri also encouraged her children to work hard, keep an open mind, seize every opportunity they could, and be grateful.

Niyogushima has. She attended the Rochester City School District’s School of the Arts where she was a vocal major. She loved singing and science and was involved in many community engagement activities, including the school’s Black Lives Matter (BLM) organization. School administrators saw Niyogushima’s leadership potential and even asked her to help a cohort of her suburban peers start a BLM group at Penfield High School.

A familiar place

The Ģ����ý is a familiar place for Niyogushima. In the summer before her junior year, she participated in a STEM program offered through OMSA’s Early Connections Opportunity (ECO) Program. That’s when she learned about biomedical engineering. She loved it. Then, in the summer before her senior year, Niyogushima took an ECO ethics course. She loved that, too.

Around the same time, Niyogushima participated in STEP, a program offered through the University’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, which is designed for middle and high school students. Medical students run the course, provide the instruction, and talk to city school participants about careers in science, medicine, and technology. Niyogushima liked that program so much that she’s been working there as an assistant for a few years, including on the weekends now.

Taking it all in

So far at Rochester, Niyogushima has taken chemistry, calculus, writing, math, a public health class, West African drumming and dancing, and a course through the David T. Kearns Center on navigating college life. When Niyogushima isn’t in class, she’s often with her friends, enjoying a meal in Douglass or Hillside or studying in the Barbara J. Burger iZone, a favorite spot of hers.

Niyogushima is taking it all in and isn’t sure what she’ll major in or where life will take her after graduation. Right now, she is thinking about majoring in bioethics, but she’s curious about so much. “For years, I’ve thought about medicine, and then when I learned about engineering, I considered that,” she says. “I’m getting introduced to all sorts of new things and seeing ways to combine my interests—it’s all very exciting so we will see how the next few years go.”

College is teaching Niyogushima a lot more than academics, too. She’s learning about independence, handling stress, and time management. “Transitioning to college life can be hard but the University offers so much support,” she says. “The Kearns Center and OMSA have been so helpful. Through them, I’ve met many students from different backgrounds who share similar life experiences. It’s been great getting to know them, discovering new things together, and going through the same kinds of challenges. I’m figuring it all out, which feels great.”

Gratitude and pride

Niyogushima is thankful for the support from the Black Alumni Network and proud to be a scholarship recipient. She’s looking forward to meeting members of the network to learn about them, their college experiences, their career paths, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the opportunities they’ve embraced.

“It’s humbling to know the people at the University who didn’t even know me read my profile, saw something in me, and believed that I deserved this,” she says. “I’m honored and it makes me really happy.”

Photo: Matt Wittmeyer

Learn about the Black Alumni Network’s other scholarship recipient,��Mervyn Winn ’26.

This scientist, teacher, writer, and musician serves as a sounding board for University students and recent graduates through The Meliora Collective’s Mentorship Program

Elliot Richman ’70, ’75 (PhD)

Elliot Richman is a modern-day Renaissance man. He earned his bachelor’s and PhD in chemistry at Rochester after which he joined Columbia University as a post-doctoral research fellow. He then he applied his knowledge and became a medical and science editor and journalist. Later, he taught high school science.

Over the years, Richman has pursued many interests, too, including as a musician (he’s been playing the piano since age 7), an opera and ballet aficionado, and a voracious reader, taking in everything from The New Yorker magazine to the latest translation of Homer’s The Odyssey.

Richman is also a mentor. In 2020, when the Ģ����ý launched its through The Meliora Collective (its unique online networking program for personal and professional development ), he decided to join. It was at the beginning of COVID, and the University recognized a growing need to create mentorship opportunities for current students and recent graduates. So did Richman.

“I signed up as a mentor because I realized that the insights I’d collected from my education, career, and life could be useful to someone just starting out,” says Richman, who retired in 2017. “I also knew how much I could’ve benefitted from having a mentor when I was a young man and I wanted to be that person for someone else. I’m glad I’ve gotten involved—it’s been a very rewarding experience.”

Being a mentor has become a second career of sorts for Richman, too. Since the program began, he has mentored eight Ģ����ý students and recent graduates. Richman has enjoyed mentoring so much that he’s even become one for other organizations that are important to him, including the National Associates of Science Writers and the American Chemical Society.

Dianna Cacace ’22

Dianna Cacace ’22, a current graduate student in bioethics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, was one of Richman’s first Rochester mentees. They were matched at the program’s launch, when she was a rising college junior. The two have stayed connected since then.

“As a first-generation student, I joined the program because I wanted to talk to and learn from someone who’s been to college and has had an interesting life and career,” she says. “Elliot has been so helpful—he’s guided me through various career options and choices. From him, I’ve learned that there are all sorts of paths our lives will take and that I can learn from every decision I make.”

For those considering whether or not to join the mentorship program as a mentee, Cacace recommends that they sign up. “It never hurts to have more people in your corner,” she says. Richman agrees and encourages people to become mentors, too. He adds, “Everyone has valuable life experience to share. Be a resource and a mirror for young people and help them navigate their next steps.”

Elliot Richman lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife, Laura, of 43 years. Their son, Daniel, was a triple major at Rochester who graduated in 2008. In 2015, they established the Laura and Elliot Richman Travel Endowment in the chemistry department, which provides support for graduate students to attend and present their research at regional and national conferences and meetings. The Richmans are also founding members of the George Eastman Circle, the University’s leadership annual giving society.

This first-year student is making the most out of her college experience

Angelica Persaud ’25

Angelica Persaud ’25—a first generation student passionate about physics and optics—grew up in the Bronx, the child of immigrants. Her mother is from Mexico, her father from Guyana. Persaud dreamed of going to college someday, and she has worked hard to get to the URochester.

In eighth grade, Persaud tested into a top-notch high school in New York City. She traveled one and a half hours to and from every day. Until then, she thought her life was like everyone else’s. “In the new high school, I quickly realized that what was normal for me wasn’t normal for everyone,” she says, noting that she came from a low-income neighborhood and didn’t have a lot of resources. “In 10th grade, I remember this one girl telling me how she was up so late the night before, finishing up her math homework with her father who was upset that it hadn’t been done earlier. It made me realize that my father wouldn’t even know how to do this kind of math.”

Persaud’s father, a property manager with a strong work ethic, always wanted her and her two siblings to go to college. So has her mother—who is also a college student and a source of great inspiration to Persaud.

“Back when I was in middle school, my mom learned English and then got her high school GED,” says Persaud. “After that, she earned her associates degree from a community college, and now she going to school part-time to get her bachelor’s, all while working at a hospital lab.”

Last year, Persaud’s mother had COVID-19 and was very sick for a month. Persaud helped take care of the family during that time—she cooked and cleaned and kept with her schoolwork. “That was a scary experience,” she says. “And it made me so grateful for my mother and all she does for us.”

Being at Rochester

Persaud, who had never left home before, is now hundreds of miles away in Rochester. She was drawn to Rochester for its open curriculum, robust extracurricular program, and research opportunities. She’s embraced the college experience and acknowledges that it’s been an adjustment.

“I come from a small family and small high school,” she says. “It’s very different here, yet very exciting to live in a dorm and be around a lot of people who are from so many different places and backgrounds.”

Embracing it all

Persaud’s also excited by the academic program here. In high school, she loved physics. She assumed she’d be a physics major here. Then in the summer of 2021, she took a virtual introduction to optics workshop offered through the Institute of Optics. She loved learning about optics and is now taking a class in it this fall. She’s also now planning to major in optical engineering.

“Optics is hard, but I like that, and physics is a big part of it,” she says. “I’m also really enjoying my sustainable energy class, so I’ll probably pursue a cluster in that. I know that with whatever path I take, I want to be part of the solution. I want to answer challenging questions that will make the world better.”

Persaud’s embracing new experiences, too. For instance, she joined Bhangra, the Indian folk dancing group on campus. She also signed up for SALSITA, which provides opportunities for first-year students like her to try out leadership positions within SALSA, the Spanish and Latino Students’ Association. She’s made like-minded friends through both groups, too, and can often be found in a dining hall or in the library studying with them. “I want to take advantage of everything college has to offer,” she says, noting that she’s also very interested in leadership, networking, and community service activities.

Full of gratitude

Rochester was Persaud’s dream school. The strong financial aid package she received—including the —makes it possible for her to attend. The Women’s Network Scholarship helps support students like Persaud who have with financial need, demonstrate excellent character, and advance the University’s goal of having a more diverse student body.

“I wanted to go away to school and have new experiences and opportunities,” she says. “Because of the generosity of people I don’t even know, like those in the Women’s Network, I can attend the URochester. I am so grateful.”

Photo: Matt Wittmeyer

University Life Trustee Fred Aman started playing drums at the age of four and has never stopped. Along the way, he’s learned from jazz legends, recorded with his own bands, and has applied lessons learned from music into his long and accomplished legal and academic career. He’s held faculty positions and research fellowships at many universities and institutions around the world.* Last year, he retired from at Indiana University-Bloomington where he was the dean from 1991-2002, and, today, is its Roscoe C. O’Byrne Professor of Law, Emeritus.

Your childhood

Fred Aman ’67

My parents and I lived in an apartment on the top floor of my grandparents’ house, which was just off Hudson Avenue in Rochester. At that time, our neighborhood was populated by people from Eastern Europe; most spoke Polish, and some spoke Russian, Lithuanian, and an array of dialects. My grandparents were from Poland, but they taught themselves how to read, write, and speak English, which is the only language they spoke to me. It is entirely possible that my later interests in global issues, particularly transnational law, may have taken root then. Law came later, of course, but I grew up thinking of a diversity of cultures, languages, and origins as normal to a thriving community.

My grandfather also taught himself to play the piano, accordion, and the violin. My uncle was studying drums at the time. For a long time, I thought that every family in America was just like ours and had a full drum set in the middle of the living room.

Your drumming lessons with the jazz great, Cozy Cole

There was a generous man in our neighborhood who annually took a few youngsters to New York City, usually different kids each time. For all of us, this meant a lot of firsts. We flew on a plane, stayed in a hotel, went to a Yankees game, and seeing the city, our eyes opened up to the world beyond our neighborhoods.

Our host knew , a great jazz drummer who played with legends like Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway. Knowing about my own interest in drums, he arranged for me to meet Cozy at the , a popular club where Cozy often played. I learned he had a school of drumming in New York and I certainly wanted to take lessons from him.

Enter my Aunt Helen. She promised that if Cozy agreed to the lessons, which he did, she’d take me to New York City for the lessons. So, several times a year, we’d take the Friday midnight train from Rochester to Manhattan. I’d have a three-hour lesson with Cozy, go to the Metropole to hear him play a set, and then we’d take the midnight train back. It was a wonderful experience in every way.

Your time at Rochester.

I was the first in my family to go to college and I soaked in all the lectures and new ideas. I learned from some of the best faculty members, like legendary political scientists Richard Fenno and William Riker. Through their classes and support, I became interested in the law. They showed me—as did the many other teachers in my life—that being a great teacher had a lot to do with being kind and helpful and not taking a heavy-handed approach. I also played a lot of gigs back then, too. The fraternities would call on me and my quintet when they wanted a “smooth” sound at their parties.

Your experience with the Rhodes Scholarship.

Professor Riker encouraged me to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship. The University’s president, , was the chair of the selection committee so I ended up interviewing with him and others for it. A few weeks after learning I didn’t get it, he sent me a handwritten note (which my parents ended up framing) inviting me to make an appointment to see him. We met and did many times thereafter. He often gave me great advice and ended up becoming a wonderful mentor to me for many years. I’ve never forgotten the kindness this university president showed to a young undergraduate–a lesson I kept with me in my own efforts as a law school dean.

Your time as a trustee.

I became a member of the Trustees Council in the 1970s. Later, I was elected an alumni trustee and still later became a life trustee. These experiences provided me great insight into how a well-run university operates. This has been very helpful to me, especially as I shifted from practicing law to teaching and to taking on academic leadership roles.

Your summer as an arranger at Eastman.

Program guide for the 1966 Arranger’s Holiday

, head arranger at Radio City Music Hall, taught a very challenging and rewarding class called the Arrangers’ Workshop. While taking the class, I wrote an arrangement that was played at the Arranger’s Holiday concert that year. , a famous jazz singer, was the featured artist and performed at a nearly sold-out audience at Eastman theater. That was a huge thrill for me.

Wright was a wonderful teacher and was very artful in the way he would critique us. He’d record our compositions in class and then the next day, he’d review them with us. In his kind and gentle way, he would hit the pause button to say things like, “Right here, where did this come from?” or “Why this chord and not this one?” or “Why give this to the trumpets instead of the saxophones?” I learned so much from him–about arranging but also about teaching, and what it means to think a problem through.

Your civil rights experience.

In 1970, when I was just out of law school, I went to work for in Atlanta. He was one of the great judges on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and was instrumental in deciding and writing many early cases addressing racial discrimination coming out of the Deep South. His approach and dedication to equity, fairness, and justice helped me see the positive impact that a legal career could make on people’s lives.

I met Carol during that time, too. She was doing post graduate work in anthropology at that time. I remember asking Judge Tuttle if he’d marry us. In response, he said, “You know, there aren’t many things you can ask an 80-year-old to do for the first time, but this is one of them.” He married us and we’ve been together for almost 45 years.

Your approach to both law and music.

The two aren’t nearly as different as some might think. I enjoy merging the worlds of theory and practice, in both law and music. Often, people think that music is all about feeling, but there is more structure in it than they realize. You have to learn technique and theory to excel. As my piano teacher would occasionally tell me, “otherwise you risk wasting your finest feelings on the wrong notes.”

Similarly, there’s a lot more feeling in the law than people think. You have to consider the human dimensions of most of the cases, what justice may require in various contexts, and how the law applies to an intricate set of facts and situations. In my law teaching and in my administrative roles, I’ve tried to develop these ideas.

Your life now.

I have a number of writing and music projects in the works. I’m drafting the fourth edition of a treatise I wrote on administrative law as well as starting a new book on Administrative Law and Democracy. I’m also in a jazz trio and we are working on our seventh non–commercial CD. I continue to play the drums as often as I can and I listen to a lot of music, particularly piano trios and people like , , , , , , and others.

Read previously published “Lifetimes” pieces on Dave Ocorr ’51, Ruth Lawrence ’49M (MD), , and Hugo Sonnenschein ’61.

Karen Chance Mercurius (left) and Lizette Pérez-Deisboeck

As part of the University’s Together for Rochester one-year fundraising and engagement campaign—and in response to growing interest from alumni and friends—the University has formed three new affinity groups: the Black Alumni Network, the First Generation Network, and the Women’s Network. Each network is designed to deepen connections within the University community.

“We want all of our alumni to feel welcome, heard, seen, supported, and valued,” says Karen Chance Mercurius, associate vice president for Alumni and Constituent Relations. “Forming these networks is a step toward creating a more diverse and inclusive environment—one that allows everyone in our University community to leverage the resources and benefits available to them.”

The Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement, its Diversity Advisory Council and Alumni Board, and the University’s Office of Equity and Inclusion helped set the strategy that formed the groups. “2020 has ignited a social justice movement where equity and access are at the heart of the dialogue,” says Lizette Pérez-Deisboeck, a University trustee who chairs the Alumni Board. “Our new networks will provide a platform not only to address inequities but also celebrate successes and support each other.”

Mercurius adds that increasing the number of diverse alumni in the networks and in key volunteer roles helps ensure that many voices are a part of the critical conversations that build both strategies and communities.

Alumni, parents, and friends can join any of the networks. They’re encouraged to attend virtual network events, volunteer or mentor students and recent graduates, and connect with each other on social media. They can also participate in the University’s professional networking platform, The Meliora Collective, which offers ways for alumni to connect based on location, professional interest, affinity and identity-based interest, and more.

The Women’s Network:

The University’s new volunteer-led Women’s Network launched in October 2020. Its mission is to harness and celebrate the rich contributions of women around the globe who are part of the Ģ����ý family.

Through dynamic programming and engaging conversations, the network helps members connect and support one another.

The Black Alumni Network:

The Black Alumni Network is an inclusive leadership organization that empowers, connects, and celebrates the University’s Black community.

The group encourages communication and cooperation between alumni, students, friends, faculty, and staff who are committed to the advancement of people of the African diaspora. It also fosters personal and professional connections and provides a sense of community for alumni of color. The network launched at the end of 2020.

The First Generation Network:

The First Generation Network comprises alumni, parents, and students who are the first in their families to attend college.

Through programs and discussions, the network will connect people across generations, provide mentorship, and share experiences and resources. It will support current members and provide a positive community for future generations of University alumni. This network will launch in 2021.

This article originally appeared in the fall 2020 issue of Rochester Review magazine.

(Ģ����ý photo / J. Adam Fenster)

Maisha Idris ’19 (above) dreamed of attending college as a child, despite long odds. Her parents were immigrants from Bangladesh who settled in New York City. Neither graduated from high school. Both worked low-paying jobs.

“I was fortunate to have teachers who emphasized the importance of a college degree, and my parents were very supportive,” Idris says. “I grew up feeling I would go to college, no matter what.”

Valedictorian of her high school class in Queens, Idris was accepted at Rochester. Through scholarships and financial aid, she was able to enroll. But her first year was difficult.

“I was confused about how to utilize all of the resources available to me and embarrassed about my background,” says the computer science major. “I regretted coming to college every day.”

�ճ����David T. Kearns Center, the University’s academic home for first-generation students, was a game changer for Idris. She met regularly with an advisor who made sure her studies were on track. She was introduced to the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and learned better study skills.

“I went from feeling isolated to knowing there were people on campus dedicated to the success of students like me,” Idris says. “I finally felt I belonged.”

Last August, she received an Edmund A. Hajim Endowed Scholarship. Established by board chair emeritus Ed Hajim ’58, the scholarship is awarded to two engineering students per class who exhibit “academic strength, intellectual promise and innovative thinking.” She’s set to graduate in May and has a job offer in hand as a software engineer for Raytheon.

Idris’s story is striking, but not unusual at Rochester, where about 20 percent of undergraduates are first-generation, or “first-gen” students—those whose parents didn’t attend college. Several departments provide resources to help such students transition into college life, and a student organization offering peer-to-peer support to first-generation students was created last spring. Many students are aided by scholarships that lift the financial barriers that would otherwise prevent them from attending college.

Sharing their story