Perks of being a Scholar

As each Scholar works with a small team to complete an independent project, not only does their knowledge and confidence improve, but so does their professionalism. Scholars have reported significant growth in written and oral communication, problem solving, and time management. Most importantly, Scholars report that the skills gained from this experience are transferrable to other parts of their lives. Additional perks of being a Scholar include:

• Developing confidence and professionalism as a leader
• Exploring and expanding personal leadership capacity
• Advancing leadership skills
• Improving public speaking, problem solving, and time management skills
• Establishing relationships and networking with Sacramento State and community mentors
• Increasing workforce and graduate program competitiveness
• Forming lasting ties with fellow Scholars
• Creating positive change at Sacramento State and in the community
• Establishing lifelong habits of leadership growth and learning

What Scholars Say

• "I really enjoyed our meetings to share our progress with our projects. I think hearing feedback from the other students within the cohort was really helpful."
• "… still to this day, helped me find the courage to just be more active and be creative."
• "My group members were supportive and very knowledgeable. I have built a long-lasting friendship with them and still to this day, we keep in contact."
• "I got to learn how to take more initiative, be creative, be more self driven, and open to inputs given by others even if it is a negative one.
• "I can honestly say that without it, I would not be the leader that I am today."
• “I have experienced a great growth in my confidence and sense of self this summer. The reading from Dare to Lead, along with learning how to implement a real-world project from scratch was so empowering. I have learned collaboration, teambuilding and communication skills that will last for a lifetime. I am so thankful to have had this opportunity and to continue this project throughout the year.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Do I have to be living in Sacramento during the summer to participate?
  • Students can work with peers and mentors virtually as needed. However, it is strongly encouraged that you attend entire group meetings in-person. You will get out of the program what you put into it. One of the aspects of leadership that you'll be working on is communication and you'll benefit from learning and practicing these skills in-person with your peers.
• Can I be working at an internship or other job while being an HLP Scholar?
  • Yes, we recognize that many students either need to work for financial reasons or are interested in gaining technical experience through an internship. Meetings for HLP Scholars will be scheduled based on participants availability. Please note that the stipend for the HLP Scholars is contingent on participation and submission of the deliverables agreed upon by the Scholars and faculty mentors, so be realistic about all the time commtitments you may have for the summer.
• Can I still participate the summer after I graduate?
  • No, the Scholar experience is only available to undergraduate students, so you must be planning to enroll in at least the Summer session while participating in the HLP Scholar experience.