Mentorship
Personalized Support
National Scholars become part of a community that learns and grows together.
National Scholar Program (NSP) staff also have frequent availability for Scholars to drop in for advice, information, or simply a chat.
In small groups and in individual meetings, the NSP staff works with Scholars to:
- develop, clarify, and revise academic, professional, and personal goals
- research internships and study abroad opportunities
- seek opportunities for Creative Inquiry and other research at Clemson
- develop work and graduate school plans
- draft, revise and edit applications and personal statements for jobs, graduate school, awards, and fellowships
- make the most of their college experience
The program also offers other opportunities for mentorship and support.
Faculty Mentors
Each year, the incoming cohort is assigned a Faculty Fellow who leads them in their first-year seminar. This Clemson professor stays with the cohort all four years, offering informal mentorship and formalized course instruction. The Fellow also travels with the cohort, comes to NSP functions, and plans events for the scholars.
Peer Mentors
Because the NSP enrolls a select group of Scholars in each first-year student cohort, the program is never too large. This purposefully small size allows for inter-cohort mentoring between upperclassmen and first-year students.
NSP alumni also connect with new Scholars through a perennial "Success Portfolio" assignment as part of their first-year seminar. Scholars begin building these mentoring connections with older students immediately upon their arrival at Clemson at a New Scholar Retreat.
Scholars also have 24/7 access to the National Scholars office suite, giving them a welcoming space to study and socialize with each other, building relationships along the way.
