This year, the Student Bar Association launched an innovative mentoring initiative for first-year students led by President Andy Co and Vice President Jose Vazquez. Every 1L student is assigned to a mentoring pod that includes 15 first-year students, two upper-level students, and one alumni mentor. These mentoring pods aim to strengthen community connections, cultivate a sense of belonging, and offer first-year students valuable resources and professional development opportunities.
Co and Vazquez originally envisioned a 1L mentorship program, which took shape over the summer with the support of Interim Dean Patricia Abril and Jessi Tamayo, director of the Externship Programs.
“We came up with the ‘Pod’ method to make that first-year experience feel less daunting and more of a ‘Welcome Home,’” said Vazquez. “That theme of welcoming and community pushed us to lay out the entire blueprint for the 1L Mentoring Pod Program. It was built on the idea that we would bridge the gap between alumni, upper-level students, and 1L students by an experience that connects us all – the first year of law school - and create an environment that reassures 1Ls that they are supported not just by our faculty but by their peers and alumni.”
Co and Vazquez recognized that 1Ls often struggle to connect with upper-level students and alumni, as they primarily interact within their sections.
“We wanted to create a stronger sense of community and engagement for 1Ls while assisting them with challenging course material,” said Co. “We worked tirelessly over the summer to find student mentors, recruit alumni mentors, and design a yearlong curriculum for the program to assist students.”
At the beginning of the academic year, first-year students met their upper-level mentors at a welcome lunch during orientation in August. They have also participated in structured sessions with their alumni mentors throughout the semester.
“Both the student and alumni mentors are great,” said Izzy Lacy, 1L. “They’re all quite different from one another so our pod got to hear about everything from a variety of perspectives, which is reassuring in the sense that it let us all know that you can succeed at Miami Law even if you don’t have the same learning style, study habits, or interests as other students. I personally feel very proud to be attending a school where alumni are willing to take time out of their busy lives to come meet with us and help us succeed. Overall, the mentorship pods create such an inspiring environment that I feel like I’m not alone in navigating law school.”
For the upper-level students, mentoring first-year students has been rewarding and eye-opening.
“One of the most unexpected challenges has been realizing how much 1Ls depend on mentors for not only academic guidance but also emotional support as they handle the intense pressure of law school,” said Sophia Burke, 3L. “As a 1L, navigating the first semester can be challenging, but having gone through it, I’m excited to offer advice and support. I hope that by simply being a resource for them, I can help make their year a bit smoother.”
Co and Vazquez are already seeing positive outcomes from the mentoring initiative.
“We have a lot of goals for the program, but mostly we want students to feel supported by the entire Miami Law community,” said Co. “I know students appreciate hearing that they will be okay—because in the end they all deserve to be here and each 1L has the tools to flourish.”
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