As a freshman at Portland State University, Naly Setthavongsack quickly realized how valuable it was to have a mentor, especially someone who was also a biology major on the pre-medicine track.
"I found that I appreciated the emotional support and knowing I had someone I could turn to was really comforting," said Settavongsack, who was the first in her family to go to college. "It helped ease my transition to college a lot more."
Now, the senior is helping other pre-health students navigate their time at PSU as a mentor in the Ignite program, a partnership between PSU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and pre-health advisors, Kaiser Permanente and Portland Leadership Foundation that offers students a one-time $5,000 scholarship and leadership experience.
Building a community
The program launched in fall 2018 with 10 mentors who were each paired with five incoming students. Over the course of five years, as many as 100 pre-health students will become Ignite scholars and hundreds more will have been mentored.
The idea for the program came from a need for community among PSU's 3,000-plus pre-health students, who can choose any major but require certain prerequisites and hands-on experiences to give them a competitive edge when applying to medical and other professional schools.
"They're dealing with so many challenges in preparing for these really demanding careers," said Laura Marsh, a PSU pre-health advisor. "They just wanted and needed support from each other."
Connections with Kaiser helped bring the program to fruition, as the health care provider saw an opportunity to ultimately diversify Oregon's health care workforce by investing in students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds.
Kaiser contributed $250,000 for the scholarships, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is raising the matching funds. Kaiser is also supporting Portland Leadership Foundation's role in the program.
CLAS Interim Dean Matt Carlson, whose background as a sociologist is in health disparities, said that patients often don't see themselves in their health care providers, but PSU together with community partners, can help create a high-quality health care workforce that better reflects the community.
"For Portland State, being a part of the solution is a fundamental part of our mission," he said. "Ignite provides students with the support they need to graduate and set them up to be successful in their chosen career."
This year, 14 mentors will be mentoring 70 mentees. As part of the program, mentors participate in a 10-week leadership training and weekly group meetings with Portland Leadership Foundation. They're also required to meet with their advisor at least once a term and meet with a financial wellness coach — among the resources they can share with their mentees.
Mentors meet with their mentees at least twice a term, organize events as a group, and serve as pre-health ambassadors for admissions events.
Making connections
One of Setthavongsack's mentees from last year, Ian DeMott, credits her with helping him decide between two majors, plan out his schedule and connect him with clinical opportunities through her connections at OHSU.
DeMott, a biology major minoring in chemistry on the pre-med track, said his goal as a freshman was to set himself up for success by finding clinical experience and networking — and Ignite helped him do just that. He now volunteers with a program that screens patients to determine if they're eligible for clinical research studies, an experience he says solidified his interest in working in emergency medicine but also helped him realize that he prefers the treatment side of things to research.
"Having those connections and being able to introduce my mentees to people and opportunities that gets them excited and motivated is rewarding," Setthavongsack said.
She said Ignite has also helped her grow as a person, become comfortable in her leadership style and learn to navigate challenges.
Alan Truong, a junior science major minoring in philosophy on the pre-pharmacy track, is another returning mentor. He said he saw his role as being there for his mentees if and when they needed something. He set up a group chat to do regular check-ins and share upcoming events, opportunities and scholarships.
"Everyone requires different leadership styles," he said. "Some need pushing, others need pulling. For some, you need to talk to them more often, while others, you just need to let them be and if they need help, they'll reach out to you."
Lisa Dinh, one of Truong's mentees last year, said having him as a mentor helped make her transition to PSU easier — both socially and academically. Having large lectures were new to her, but he helped her with her classes and to improve her study skills. This year, she'll be paying it forward as a mentor.
"I want to let others know about all the resources at Portland State and give them tips about what worked for me and what might work for them," she said.
Inside photos by Cristina Rojas, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences