pHirst Scholars
Learning Outcomes
Students in the pHirst Scholars community will…
- learn the importance of embracing and developing their identities to feel more empowered and valued
- develop lasting connections across campus through partnerships with defined mentors, staff, and faculty, leading to the development of a strong support system
- learn about systemic (hidden) barriers in which first-generation college student face, and strategies for overcoming them
- develop a shared sense of community through exploring leadership initiatives and engaging with the pHirst Advisory Counsel
The pHirst community helped me tremendously with my transition to college and has positively shaped my experience at Mines. Through pHirst, I was able to create long friendships with fellow first-generation students and learn more about the deeper meaning of my identity. pHirst showed me that I was not navigating through this journey alone and that there are other first-generation students aspiring to pave the way in STEM as well. pHirst taught me that there is more to the first-generation identity, there are diverse layers in every individual. I’ve been able to expand my perspective by learning about others’ cultures, stories, and goals!
My involvement with the pHirst community also encouraged me to meet faculty members at Mines and build meaningful connections across campus. These early connections, especially as a first-generation student, helped open doors to valuable resources that could help me in and outside my academic career.
pHirst showed me that I belong here at Mines and helped me learn more about myself. I am not exaggerating when I say that pHirst changed my life, it helped me get to where I am today!
As I entered my Junior year, I had a strong urge to become a part of the pHirst community. I wanted to be a guiding light and a role model for future classes. My freshman year experience was not the best – I felt isolated and alone, not just because of the pandemic, but also due to the lack of diversity on campus. As a person of color, I had a hard time bringing up issues related to race and diversity with my non-black RA. I wasn’t sure if they would understand where I was coming from.
Faculty Friends:
Melanie Brandt
Teaching Associate Professor | Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences
About Melanie.
Melanie Brandt received her MA in Humanities from CU Denver. For her thesis, she investigated the power of humor in forming identities and effecting political and social change. Her work necessitated multidisciplinary research and study thereby creating a platform for understanding the fundamental elements of learning and communication that can be applied to many academic disciplines. Melanie earned her bachelor’s degree in Literature and graduated summa cum laude. She is interested in combining the humanities and STEM fields of study in innovative ways that bolster both.
Melanie has taught a variety of writing, film, and literature classes. Furthermore, she has taught in Mines’ Design EPICS program since 2011. This spring she will be teaching one section of NHV and oral communications, along with one section of EPICS.
About Kayla.
Kayla (she/hers) serves as the Assistant Director for the Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP) at Mines. MEP supports first-generation and other diverse students on campus and houses student organizations focused on Native/Indigenous students, Black/African-American students, LGBTQIA2S+ students, Asian/Pacific Islander students, and Hispanic/Latinx students.
Prior to Mines, Kayla was at the University of Colorado, Denver where she served as the Coordinator for Student Events and previously was the Inaugural Native American Program Coordinator under Student Diversity and Social Justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Kayla was born and raised in Hawai’i, on the island of O’ahu. After graduating high school, she moved to Greeley, Colorado, where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Northern Colorado. She is a first-generation student and attributes her passion for social justice, equity, access, and inclusion to her personal and professional experiences. Stop by MEP House anytime to check out our space and meet new friends!
About Stepheny.
Stepheny is a Latina originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico and has a passion for working with diverse students, getting them to and through college. She believes that STEM fields must be enriched by diverse perspectives and so she works to support student’s aspirations by ensuring that their lived experiences expand what we currently know STEM to be. Stepheny works for the Multicultural Engineering Program which supports first-gen and other diverse students on campus and houses student organizations focused on Native/Indigenous students, Black/African-American students, LGBTQIA2S+ students, Asian/Pacific Islander students, and Hispanic/Latinx students.
Stepheny lives in Aurora, Colorado with her husband, son and five chickens. If you ask her who has better green chile, she will always vouch for New Mexico Hatch! Come stop by MEP House anytime to meet new friends, study, get free food, use the computers/free-printing, or just say hi – we’re the brown house right next to Mines Market!
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