College Access Navigation Fellowship

Locations: Amherst, MA; Coral Gables, FL

Dates: June - August 2025

Fellowship Overview

The College Access Navigation (CAN) Fellowship is a dynamic summer program designed to develop leadership, mentorship, and program management skills in current college students while supporting high-achieving, diverse, and underrepresented students, including students of color from under-resourced communities, on their journeys to college and career success. This seven-week (Florida) or nine-week (Massachusetts) residential fellowship combines leadership development with hands-on experiences in mentorship, program coordination, and community-building, offering participants the opportunity to make a tangible impact on students’ lives while building critical skills for their own futures.

The Fellowship is hosted by Thrive Scholars, an organization committed to ensuring that talented underrepresented students achieve intergenerational wealth and financial security by graduating from top colleges and entering careers equipped with the skills and networks needed for success.

Program Overview

The CAN Fellowship is an opportunity for college students to serve as near-peer leaders and mentors during Thrive Scholars’ Summer Academy, a residential program held at Amherst College and the University of Miami. Summer Academy provides rising high school seniors and rising first-year college students with essential academic preparation, career insights, and personal development support. CAN Fellows play a vital leadership role in fostering a welcoming, engaging, and empowering environment for approximately 400 scholars across both campuses.

Key Features of the Fellowship

Leadership Development:

Fellows are trained to be leaders, gaining the skills and confidence to manage projects, work collaboratively, shape culture, and lead impactful programming. This includes:

• Facilitating group activities: Fellows co-design, support, and in some cases lead community-building events, workshops, and other enrichment activities.
• Guiding and mentoring students: Fellows serve as role models, offering guidance and support while fostering a positive and inclusive environment.
• Problem-solving and decision-making: Fellows learn to address challenges proactively and collaborate effectively with peers and supervisors.
• Project management: Fellows draft, implement, and own at least one relevant programming, operational, or Scholar-support project informed by their professional interests and anticipated career trajectory.

Relevant Learning Experiences:

Fellows receive specialized training from experts in:

• College admissions and transitions
• Economic mobility and systemic inequities
• Residential life management
• Program design and project management

This training ensures Fellows are equipped to lead, mentor, and inspire while building valuable, transferable skills applicable to future academic and professional endeavors.

Hands-On Experience in Student Support:

Fellows apply their leadership and training by:

• Ensuring the success of student programming, including workshops, off-campus trips, and evening activities.
• Supporting and supervising students in a residential learning community to ensure their safety, well-being, and engagement.
• Setting and honoring professional boundaries with Scholars, upholding Thrive and campus policies, monitoring attendance, and exercising discretion at all times.
• Contributing substantially to the creation and maintenance of a welcoming and inclusive residential community, fostering meaningful connections among scholars and staff.

Collaborative Professional Development:

Throughout the summer, Fellows will:

• Set and reflect on personal leadership and learning goals.
• Collaborate with peers and staff to plan and execute impactful programming.
• Be supervised and coached by an on-campus Assistant Site Director and a remote Fellowship Coordinator.
• Receive feedback to refine their leadership, mentorship, and program coordination skills.

Tangible Impact:

Fellows actively contribute to students’ educational journeys, helping them navigate the critical transitions from high school to college while reinforcing the importance of career and economic mobility.

Logistical Details:

Summer Academy 1

Location: Amherst, Massachusetts

Dates: June 2 - June 15 (virtual); June 16 - August 2 (on site)

Support: $6,000 fellowship stipend*, up to $500 travel reimbursement, room & board during on-site session.

Summer Academy 2

Location: Miami, Florida

Dates: June 9 - June 22 (virtual); June 23 - July 28 (on site)

Support: $4,000 fellowship stipend*, up to $500 travel reimbursement, room & board during on-site session.

Stipends will be paid in increments throughout the summer and are dependent on Fellows’ satisfaction of program requirements and responsibilities.

Fellows are expected to focus fully on Fellowship responsibilities during the program, with one scheduled day off per week.

Eligibility

The CAN Fellowship is open to all students currently enrolled in a four-year college and residing in the United States, regardless of citizenship status, with:

• Leadership experience in residential, mentorship, or student-support settings;
• A passion for mentoring and supporting diverse, underrepresented students;
• Strong interpersonal skills, dependability, and enthusiasm for creating positive change; and
• An understanding of the importance of professional boundaries and discretion even in near-peer situations.

Why Leadership is Central to the Fellowship

At its core, the CAN Fellowship is a leadership development program. Fellows gain:

• Practical experience in leading and supporting diverse groups of students.
• A deeper understanding of how to address systemic barriers to college access and economic mobility.
• The confidence and skills to lead teams, plan programs, and navigate complex challenges in educational and professional settings.

This Fellowship is more than a summer experience—it is a chance to grow as a leader, contribute to an organization committed to equity and opportunity, and build skills for a lifetime of impact.

For more information on Thrive Scholars and our mission to promote economic mobility, visit the Thrive Scholars website.