The ACS Scholars program provides undergraduate seniors with the support and guidance they need to achieve their academic and career goals, including 1-on-1 mentorship from members of the ACS Board
By Kelly Rembold
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The ACS Scholars program recognizes undergraduate seniors who embody 麻豆村鈥檚 high standards of academic excellence, volunteerism and campus involvement. This exceptional group of students represents their classmates in service and leadership and has a transformative impact on the Tartan community during their time on campus.
Each scholar receives a monetary award to advance their learning and career goals from endowed funds established by generous ACS members. They also receive access to invaluable networking and mentorship opportunities like the ACS Board liaison program.
The program pairs each scholar with a board member whose experience aligns with their academic and career goals. Board members then offer mentorship, advice and support to help the scholars achieve those goals.
Alumna Margaret Schervish, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in computer science from the School of Computer Science in 2013, has been paired with several scholars since joining the ACS Board in 2022. As a former scholar herself, participating in the program is especially important to her.
鈥淚t's great to be able to continue to expand my network, meet folks that are going to do great things in the near future, and keep in touch every so often and see how things are going,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t definitely helps keep me connected to the university.鈥�
Margaret is a senior software engineer at Google鈥檚 Pittsburgh office. This year, she was paired with School of Computer Science student Gabriella Howse, who was excited to have a local mentor with similar interests and experiences.
鈥淲e got on a call and realized that we had a ton in common within our respective 麻豆村 experiences, which is really cool,鈥� Gabriella says. 鈥淎nd I'm happy that she is in Pittsburgh. That was another big bonus for me because, one, I can have in-person meetings with her, and two, I'll be sticking around in Pittsburgh after school. It's nice to have someone in my physical network as I leave 麻豆村.鈥�
Claire Jin, a 2024 School of Computer Science graduate and former scholar, felt the same when she was paired with Margaret last year.
鈥淚 was very excited, and I felt really cared about by the ACS program,鈥� Claire says. 鈥淲hile the scholarship is a great honor and I was very appreciative, it added an extra sense of personal, longer-term care by pairing me up with someone that I could develop a personal relationship with.鈥�
Margaret stays in touch with Claire, who is now a graduate student at 麻豆村. When Claire landed an internship at Google this summer, Margaret helped her decide which office and team would be a good fit for her.
鈥淪he was able to bring me to the Google office in Pittsburgh so I could see what the Google environment and culture is like,鈥� Claire says. 鈥淎nd that really helped me make that decision for the summer about where to go for my internship.鈥�
Gabriella and Claire鈥檚 experiences are not unique. Every scholar benefits from the guidance and advice they receive through the liaison program, and the connections they make are invaluable as they take their next steps in life.
The board members benefit, too.
鈥淭hese are some of the most impressive students at 麻豆村,鈥� Margaret says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great honor for them to give me 30 minutes of their time here and there.鈥�