Page Content Your browser does not support the video tag. Juliet Wahleithner, Ph.d.“The First Year Experience at Fresno State helped students feel like they had a group with which they felt connected.” When she was recruited to teach a course for the First Year Experience (FYE) program at California State University, Fresno in 2015, Juliet Wahleithner, Ph.D., was brand-new to the campus. But it didn't take long for the assistant professor of literacy education to find her true calling: mentoring students. The FYE placed 100 first-year students (who are also first-generation) in four cohorts; for one year, they took all their courses together. “The goal was to support them as they transitioned into the university, keep them enrolled and help them on their path to graduation," explains Dr. Wahleithner, who teaches courses focused on literacy for undergraduates, teachers' credential candidates and graduate students. The program aligned with the goals of the CSU's Graduation Initiative 2025, which strives to foster a sense of belonging for students on campus, leading to improved student outcomes. Wanting to make an even deeper impact, Wahleithner also sought out FYE students as volunteers for her research on understanding how people learn to communicate. The experience quickly bonded the 13 students who opted to participate. In the process, the Stockton, California, native also became their mentor.“First-gen students have the emotional support at home, but they may not have people to go to when they have questions [on campus]," she explains. “That's what I felt I became for a lot of them. They would text me at random times, 'Can you talk?' Through the process, I became really close to them. I've written a million letters of recommendation."Two are graduating this semester and the rest next semester. I'm thinking, This definitely had an impact. How can I continue this and who needs it?" Learn more about Juliet's story and about the CSU's Graduation Initiative 2025, which strives to increase graduation rates for all students while eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps. “Many of the students in the First Year Experience program said it helped to have a group in which they can feel connected. It was about keeping them in a safe community together. For the ones who may not have had a lot of support at home, it was a comfort to them to know, 'OK, I've got the first year taken care of. I know I have this security.” “In my research, I'm really interested in high school writing instruction and the transition of students from high school to college. At the end of the first semester at Fresno State, I recruited 13 students from the First Year Experience program. I tracked their literacy development by collecting samples of their writing and met with them three times a year. I asked them to reflect on their growth, talk about what helped them to be successful and what changes they might make.” “There was an expectation that I would attend college, but it wasn't heavily pushed. I put that pressure on myself. I was certainly not the kid whose parents took them to college visits or any of that. I was the one who had to do the applications on my own. In college, I found out about a research conference coming to campus, so I went and ended up connecting with graduate students. Several of them mentored me. I also did an independent study with a faculty member and she became a mentor for me.” “Dr. Wahleithner goes out of her way to help her students. She was no longer just a professor but someone I could lean on. Whether it's something good or bad, she will either help me figure it out or motivate me to keep going. I plan to keep in touch with her because she has become someone very important in my life.” – Claudia Gutierrez '19, a former First Year Experience student at Fresno State now working toward her dual teaching credentials “Faculty members can help students have that person they can connect with, who they can go to when they have questions. Students will ask me something and I might not have the answer, but I know where to look. I remember when I was entering college and feeling overwhelmed by the size of it all. If you have that person you know is going to have your back, it's helpful.” “My favorite part was getting to know the students. I got to know their families and about their roommates. Most of them are Latinx and they had an amazing Chicano Latin American students' graduation celebration. I get teary-eyed talking about it, but getting to give them hugs after they crossed the stage and just know they did it… I'm really proud of them.” [Professor Wahleithner and First Year Experience students, left to right, Alma Perez, Claudia Gutierrez, Alondra Aguilar and Andrea Gutierrez)Check out more programs around the CSU that assist students with their transition to college: Cal State LA Chico State Stanislaus State Read More GI 2025 Success Stories STORY: MICHELLE MCCARTHY PHOTOGRAPHY: patrick record and courtesy of Dr. Juliet wahleithner Share this story Share Tweet Email Share