Berkeley Connect is a mentoring program open to all students at UC Berkeley—thousands of students enroll each year. Bridge Connect is a specially designed version of Berkeley Connect for Summer Bridge participants.
Through Bridge Connect you will be matched with a graduate student who will be your personal mentor for the summer. You will also be placed in a small group of your peers that will meet weekly for discussions facilitated by your mentor. Through one-on-one and group mentoring, you will start to build your intellectual community and support network at UC Berkeley.
The Berkeley Connect motto is “you belong here.” Students tell us that Berkeley Connect mentoring helps them connect with other students and with professors; increases their awareness of resources available to them on campus; and boosts their sense of confidence and belonging at UC Berkeley.
Learning in community is more fulfilling and effective than learning alone. We can’t wait to Connect with you!
—Cristina Mora, Faculty Director, Bridge Connect
Program Description
At the heart of Bridge Connect is the relationship between you and your mentor. The Bridge Connect mentors are advanced graduate students, or recent PhDs, who are chosen both for their demonstrated commitment to undergraduates and for their scholarly achievement. They are dedicated to providing the kind of close-knit community and one-on-one attention that can be hard to find at a large university.
You will meet one-on-one with your mentor at least twice, once near the beginning of the session and once near the end. At these meetings you will be able to talk with your mentor about your goals and aspirations, your questions and concerns—anything you want related to your academic life.
Your mentor will also hold open mentoring hours every week, giving you additional opportunities to check in and make the most of his/her support and expertise throughout the session.
Your small group will meet every week for an hour-long discussion session facilitated by your mentor. Discussions will focus on exploring the research university environment and how you will chart your own path through it—how you will identify and connect with the people, places, and programs that can help you achieve your academic goals. The small group discussions are designed to build connections among students, so that each group becomes a supportive community.
Bridge Connect carries one unit of academic credit, and is offered Pass/Not Pass. In order to pass, you simply need to attend, participate, and complete the required surveys. Bridge Connect will not add to your study load or stress load. Bridge Connect will offer you opportunities for reflection, exploration, and connection as you begin your journey through UC Berkeley.
Faculty
Cristina Mora is an Associate Professor of Sociology and faculty director of Berkeley Connect in Sociology.
Where did you spend your childhood?
Los Angeles, California
Where did you go to college? What was your major?
BA, UC Berkeley, PhD, Princeton; Sociology.
How would you describe your research in a sentence or two?
I do research on racial and immigration politics in the US and Europe. My current book project examines these issues across three major California regions: LA County, the Bay Area, and the Central Valley.
Meet Your Mentors
Adriana P. Ramirez is a PhD candidate in Sociology.
Where did you grow up?
Between Jalisco, Mexico and Dixon, California
Where did you go to college and what was your major?
UC Davis- International Relations & Socio-Cultural Anthropology
How would you describe your research in a sentence or two?
I study how young people who were born in the U.S. or brought to the U.S. as children adapt to their new lives in Mexico.
Clara Perez Medina is a PhD candidate in Geography and Sociology.
Where did you grow up?
All over the U.S.! I moved a lot as a kid, starting in California, then in Florida for a lot of my childhood, then New York.
Where did you go to college and what was your major?
Emory University -- Sociology & Sustainability
How would you describe your research in a sentence or two?
I research visual representations of race, gender, and space in film, photography, and media & I'm working on a collaborative film on Black housing justice in Oakland with the Archive of Urban Futures project here at UC Berkeley.
Semester Plan
Bridge Connect Sample Schedule
Details subject to change
WEEK 1 Beginning the journey of discovery
Small-group discussion: What is mentoring and how can we seek mentors throughout our time at Cal?
Start-of-semester survey
Online reflection exercise
WEEK 2 Taking advantage of opportunities at the research university
Small-group discussion: What makes a research university special and how can we best navigate the opportunities at Cal?
Online reflection exercise
One-on-one meetings with mentors
Field trip option #1: Berkeley Art Museum
WEEK 3 Addressing challenges at the research university
Small-group discussion: What are common challenges encountered at a research university and how can we address them?
Online reflection exercise
Open mentoring hours
WEEK 4 Getting to know the faculty and their stories
Small-group discussion: What are the best ways to get support from professors during our time at Cal?
Faculty guest speakers
Field trip option #2: Natural history museums
Online reflection exercise
Open mentoring hours
WEEK 5 Creating your own discovery experience at Cal
Small-group discussion: What are opportunities to tailor our time at Cal through research, community engagement, entrepreneurship, or creative work?
Field trip option #3: Bancroft Library
Online reflection exercise
Open mentoring hours
WEEK 6 Setting your goals and intentions
Small-group discussion: What are our goals and aspirations for the next leg of the journey at Cal?
One-on-one meetings with mentors
Online reflection exercise
Exit survey
How to Sign Up
All Summer Bridge participants are offered the opportunity to opt-in to Bridge Connect. If you opt-in, Bridge Connect will be added to you summer course schedule. There is no additional cost or fee for participating in Bridge Connect.
If you would like to continue with Berkeley Connect during the academic year, you can enroll in Berkeley Connect (98BC) for the Fall or Spring during the regular course selection process. Berkeley Connect is offered through 15 different academic departments and is open to all students regardless of declared or intended major.
Contact Us
If you have additional questions about Bridge Connect, please contact:
Please see our FAQs. If you have additional questions about Bridge Connect, please contact: G. Cristina Mora, Faculty Director, cmora@berkeley.edu.
Berkeley Connect central office, berkeleyconnect@berkeley.edu, (510)664-4182