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As an incoming freshman at UCSC in 2003, Jared Crayton-Thomas looked
to begin a new chapter of his life. Through the first two years
of his college career, Jared took various different courses exploring
what UCSC had to offer and attempting to find a field of study that
he was interested in. Before coming to UCSC, Jared was interested
in engineering, but after struggling through a few computer courses,
Jared changed his focus and declared Sociology as a major. Jared
fell in love with his new major, and the topics discussed in his
classes motivated him to get more involved on campus. In addition
to joining the Oakes Mentor Program as a third-year student, Jared
also joined Best Buddies at UCSC and the UCSC club baseball team.
As a mentor at Oakes, Jared specifically helped one incoming freshman
adjust to college life, and he attended sponsored trips to places
like the Gilroy Outlets, San Francisco, and the Boardwalk Bowl.
As an incoming freshman at UCSC in 2003, Jared Crayton-Thomas looked
to begin a new chapter of his life so much that he decided to apply
for the Oakes Mentor Program coordinator position. Now, Jared is
finishing up a successful year as the Oakes Mentor Program Coordinator.
CUIP Struggles & Triumph
Despite Jared's high expectations of his new responsibilities as
the Oakes Mentor Program coordinator, he was able to pick up where
Amber Knight, the 2005-20006 Oakes Mentor Program coordinator, left
off the previous year. Jared was able to pair 28 incoming freshman
with 28 eager and helpful upper-classmen. His first major responsibility
was to coordinate an event for the fall quarter. Jared decided on
the Santa Cruz Roller Palladium for the location of the year’s
first event. Many program members attended, and the event was a
lot of fun. Because of the success of his first planned event, Jared
gained the confidence he needed to plan future events. In the winter,
he took the Oakes Mentor Program to the Boardwalk Bowl, and in the
spring he coordinated a joint barbeque with the National Association
of Black Accountants (NABA), both of which were very successful.
Another minor mental struggle that Jared encountered was his lack
of confidence in the mentor program system. He was not exactly sure
if the Oakes Mentor Program was helping its participants. Jared
was able to express his concerns during one CUIP class sessions.
He told the class that he did not know if he was helping anyone
because he was not able to measure whether or not the program was
doing its job. The feedback he received, especially from professor
William Ladusaw, was very helpful. Jared was told to believe in
the system and understand that if one person benefits from the program,
then the program is successful. Jared took these words to heart
and continued to run the Mentor Program with a newfound belief in
the system.
After CUIP
Before entering his internship, Jared was skeptical of how he would
perform as the person in charge. But the CUIP course and the strong
support system of fellow CUIP interns helped him overcome the minor
struggles that he encountered. The CUIP class also offered Jared
a brief look at how the University of California system functions
on a higher level. In addition, Jared was also able to meet many
other student leaders and learn about other on-campus internships.
Jared was also able to gain a little experience writing proposals
and forming budgets for particular programs. Overall, the Oakes
Mentor Program coordinator position pointed him in the right direction
for a possible career. After completing his minor requirements in
the summer, Jared plans to get a job working with children. Specifically,
Jared would like to become a site coordinator with Sports 4 Kids,
an organization located in the Bay Area which emphasizes implementing
physical activity into elementary and junior high schools. Thanks
to the Oakes Mentor Program and the Chancellor’s Undergraduate
Internship program, Jared has developed the necessary leadership
skills that will allow him to excel in the real world.
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