Match Day did its job. New scholars met their coaches, returning pairs kicked off another year together, and now the real thing has started: our scholars are in their first weeks on campus.

Here's what the research says about those weeks. A new national study of more than 21,000 college students found that how much a student feels they belong in their first year predicts whether they graduate - not their test scores, not their major, their sense of belonging. For first-generation scholars, the question underneath every early experience is the same one: "Do I belong here?" And the honest answer sometimes needs to be said out loud by someone who believes it.

That someone is you. Your job this month is not to solve anything. It's to be steady, visible proof that the answer is yes. A text, a coffee, a "how was your first week, really" - small and consistent beats deep and occasional in September. Show up, and keep showing up.

• — Match Day 2026 is in the books. Even a weather delay couldn't slow it down - orientation for our incoming class, a returning-scholar panel, mixers, and putt-putt at Oakley Greens, with every new pairing walking out with their first conversation already behind them.
• — Classes are underway at UC. The first day was August 24, which means your scholar is somewhere between "this is exciting" and "this is a lot." Both are normal. Early September is the schedule sanity-check window - see the Toolkit below.
• — HERizon is back for the new school year. Our partner program hosts monthly professional development sessions for women, and it's one of the best rooms we can point you to: industry professionals to meet, a welcoming group, and a free lunch while you're at it. If your scholar is in the phase of perfecting the networking craft, this is the easiest practice rep on the calendar. Open to our women coaches and scholars alike - details land in the app as sessions are scheduled.