By Camila Avelar
First-generation college students face challenges transitioning to university because they often don’t have anyone to ask for assistance in the application process.
Programs at the UW Foster School of Business seek to help students overcome those barriers.
Founded in 2006, Young Executives of Color (YEOC) is a nine-month college readiness program tailored to traditionally underrepresented Washington state high school students.
Applications open in February and close on May 31. Current sophomores or juniors from any high school in Washington state are eligible to apply and strongly encouraged if they are economically disadvantaged and/or first-generation college applicants.
The 2025-2026 academic year applications are currently open for rising high school juniors and seniors across Washington state.
Students who are selected for the YEOC program attend monthly sessions on success in high school, college preparation and professional development at the UW campus. These sessions aren’t specific to UW and can be applied to any university. Though YEOC focuses on business topics and development, prior business experience or knowledge is not required but an interest to learn is encouraged.
Once in the program students are paired with a mentor who helps with any academic or personal issues. Second-year mentor Fikre Nega was a student of the program and got help on where to start the college-application process.
“I didn’t have any older cousins or any other resources to turn to or help me with the college application process,” Nega said. “I was also the oldest sibling so I didn’t really know where to go”.
The YEOC mentors are mostly undergraduate students at the University of Washington and come from a range of majors. Mentors are also responsible for planning a session for the high school students.
Nega said mentors are assigned one or two dates for which they have to prepare a lecture and activity for the students. Usually, the session topic assigned corresponds with the college student’s area of expertise as a mentor.
Some former YEOC cohort members progress and become YEOC mentors once they attend UW.
Second-year mentor Lindsay Garza has experienced both sides of the program: once as a mentee, and now as a mentor. With this experience, she can enhance her sessions for maximum engagement with her students.
“I’m very detail-oriented, so in a session, I think ‘How is this going to look to the mentees? Is this gonna be energizing,’” Garza said. “Are they gonna enjoy the content that we’re giving them? Or even operational-wise how can we make this as smooth as possible for them”.
YEOC is not the only program offered by the Undergraduate Diversity Services (UDS) but they all hope to help students in a variety of ways.
Tarah Moore, Associate Director at UDS, explained how the multiple programs provided under these services, including YEOC, are intentionally created for underrepresented students.
Moore said UDS programs teach about the impact of generational wealth, the benefits of professional development and promote different industries and businesses of which students may not be aware.
These programs not only offer a place to grow professionally but also a place to find community.
“It’s really easy to feel like you’re just another number on campus” said Khazzi Villanueva, a mentor in training. “I feel really seen within the UDS family.”
The current YEOC cohort is the 19th in the program’s history, and their mission has remained unchanged: to expose students to new career paths.
Damariz Ibáñez, YEOC Program Manager, has been in the job for seven years and has seen it go through challenges, such as the pandemic and changes to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.
Ibáñez is confident the program will continue to grow.
“It’s a journey and it has been a big mountain to build,” Ibáñez said. “But I know that it won’t be rocked by anything coming its way because it only continues to get stronger the longer we’re here.”
