ISSP is proud to host two mentorship programs for and led by international students. These programs are designed to provide support to new incoming international students while providing opportunities for leadership development.
Programs
- Global Mentorship Program (GMP)
- Designed for undergraduate students
- International Grad Peer Mentorship Program (IGPMP)
- Designed for graduate students
Global Mentorship Program
The Global Mentorship Program (GMP) pairs new international undergraduates (mentees) with trained Global Mentors who are knowledgeable and experienced UCSC students. Mentees are matched with mentors after orientation and stay connected during their first two quarters at UCSC. The mentorship helps new international students transition to the UCSC campus community by connecting them to campus resources, engaging them in activities, and offering a support system as they navigate cultural, academic, and social challenges.
Program Benefits
- An instant connection to UCSC for new international students
- Connections with domestic and international slugs from around the world
- Get-togethers, where mentors and mentees get to know one another
- Social programs such as study groups and movie nights
- Large quarterly events, including in-person day trips to local attractions like the Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Opportunities for personal and professional growth
Join the Global Mentorship Program
Become a Mentee (new international students)
- Registration for Fall 2025 Mentees will open in the summer
- New students will be matched prior to International Student Orientation
Become a Mentor (existing students)
- Visit our Work/Volunteer page to learn more about becoming a Global Mentor
International Grad Peer Mentorship Program
The International Grad Peer Mentorship Program is a peer-to-peer mentoring and networking program that focuses on support and development amongst current and incoming international graduate students and ISSP. Current graduate student mentors will support mentees through practical events geared towards supporting students as they transition into living in the United States and throughout their journey at UCSC. The primary focus of the program is on summer pre-arrival and fall arrival periods of incoming students, with ongoing community building, support, and mentorship through the rest of the academic year, depending on funding.
Events are open to all international graduate students and scholars. Visit the Events & Workshops page to view upcoming events.
Program Benefits
- A sense of community and collaboration amongst the international graduate student and scholar populations
- Focused support both on students who are transitioning to live in the United States for their Master’s or PhD program,s and organic community building and continued sustainability for both new and continuing graduate students and scholars
- Graduate support programming, including quarterly networking mixers, tax filing sessions, and workshops hosted by fellow graduate students
- Opportunities for personal and professional growth
Summer Support Series
- The International Grad Peer Mentors design and host a summer series dedicated to sharing what it’s like to be an international graduate student at UC Santa Cruz
- Visit the Events & Workshops page for this upcoming year’s schedule, as well as recordings and answer summaries from previous summer workshops