Reducing Barriers Through Student-Led Programming 

Success in academia often depends on informal mentorship and unstated cultural expectations that can unintentionally disadvantage non-traditional students, including first-generation students, career changers, caregivers, and those without inherited academic networks. This talk will examine the challenges these students face and how student-led spaces can support them through intentional, low-barrier programming designed to reduce knowledge gaps and promote integration. Through incremental adjustments, department culture can become more inclusive towards students with varying paths and backgrounds.