The summer CUPP programming kicked off with an online professional development session on June 22nd. Three pathways programs alumni (Imaani Easthausen, Luci Hernandez, and Ellie Rodriguez) talked about their studies at Columbia, their mentoring experiences, and their career trajectories afterwards. Afterward, Associate Director for Faculty Advancement, Jen Leach, led 160 attendees through the process of creating a professional-looking LinkedIn profile. Throughout the event, attendees connected in the newly-formed CUPP LinkedIn group to keep in touch with their peers.
In early July, the summer program participants came together on the Math Lawns for the CUPP Cookout, an afternoon of music and games that was attended by more than 250 high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. In attendance were participants from twenty different programs; some, like SPURS and Amazon SURE researchers, had arrived on the Columbia campus for the first time just a week before, while others, like PrIMER trainees, had already been working under the supervision of Columbia mentors for an entire academic year. The engaging event was met with excitement, with one student remarking “this is the most fun I have had on the Columbia campus!”.