Trailblazers: Supporting First-Generation Criminal Justice Students at UNLV

• In Event: Roundtable: Student Success in Criminal Justice: Opportunities for First Generation and Underrepresented Student Populations

Abstract

The Trailblazers Program in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) was developed to provide social support, guidance, networking opportunities, and scholarship information to first-generation criminal justice students. Central to the program is the component of peer mentorship. The Trailblazers Program was born from the recognition that first-generation students may experience significant challenges adapting to college; therefore, the program aims to assist students as they acclimate to the university setting. Feedback about the program from both student mentors and their mentees suggest that the program is a very promising resource for first-generation criminal justice students.

Author

• Gillian M. Pinchevsky, University of Nevada, Las Vegas