Building Community, Building Leaders:
30 30Years of SAW Words by Sarah J. Stevenson, MFA ’04; Photos by Allison Rost
WHEN DAISY GONZALES ’07 TOURED MILLS as an incoming
“The main goal is to give students a real taste of what col-
first-year student in the Summer Academic Workshop (SAW),
lege-level work would feel like at its most stressful,” says Ajuan
she looked up at the list of campus leaders in the Student
Mance, professor of English and ethnic studies and dean of
Union, turned to a classmate, and said, “That’s going to be me.”
digital learning. She has taught SAW modules for 20 years.
And she was right—she went on to become a peer advisor, then
The program, which is free to enrollees, is a collaboration
a SAW program coordinator, and, within a few years, Gonzales
with the Division of Student Life, helping SAW students famil-
was president of the ASMC.
iarize themselves with the campus; understand the resources
And now? She’s deputy chancellor for the California Community Colleges, the largest system of higher education in the country.
available to them, such as the tutoring center and counseling services; and clarify their own needs and goals. “We talk about [a number of] things: imposter syndrome,
Not many new students display such a high level of deter-
how to create your own community in a place that might be
mination and focus, but SAWblings or SAW sisters—as alum-
really different from where you came from, self-care, and how
nae often call one another—aren’t typical first-years. For the
to manage a college schedule. How do you deal with time
last 30 years, they have enrolled in SAW the summer before
and planning? What are assignments like in college?” says
their first semester on the basis of academic and leadership
Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
promise. The vast majority are women of color. All of them are
Priya Kandaswamy, who co-directs SAW with Associate Dean
first-generation college students. And many show that same
of Students Lea Robinson. In short, the program fills in the type
drive to succeed.
of knowledge that students with parents who went to college generally possess.
I
MAGINE ARRIVING ON CAMPUS not just a stranger to
SAW attendees reside on campus throughout the four-week
Mills but to the logistics of higher education: navigating
summer program, but it isn’t all work and no play. There are
classes and managing a rigorous schedule without some
community-building activities during off hours, such as tours
of the key support systems and resources other students may
of Oakland, baseball games to cheer on the A’s, and other social
take for granted. But add in SAW—one of several bridge pro-
events. Peer advisors, who are often former SAW students, also
grams at Mills that gives incoming students the opportunity
live in the dorms for the duration of the program and serve as
to adapt to campus before classes begin—and you have a recipe
“pod leaders” to smaller groups of mentees.
not only for success, but for excellence.
By the time their first semester starts, SAW students have
SAW students start their time at Mills with an intensive
already earned four credits and are well-equipped with the
four-week academic program consisting of three or four mini-
tools they need to succeed on campus—not to mention a cohort
courses, or modules, covering subjects such as computer sci-
of SAWblings to provide support and community. The cohort
ence; sociology; English; mathematics; and Race, Gender, and
continues to meet as a group once a week throughout its first
Power, a class focusing on social justice. Classroom instruction
year at Mills, as well as on an occasional basis after that.
takes an intersectional approach, exposing students to new
“It’s an academically challenging summer program, but we
subjects as well as developing their skills in writing and other
come at it from the perspective that ‘We know you can do these
foundational areas.
things and we want to make sure that you feel supported so
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M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY