University YMCA | Y-Collegiate Achievers Program
My name is Evetta Inman, a current graduate student in the Masters of Multicultural Teaching and Learning program at the University of Minnesota. This spring semester I held a Graduate Intern position at the University YMCA (UY) with the Y-Collegiate Achievers Program (Y CAP).
Y CAP is a student-led program intended to support first-generation college students of color in their transition from high school to college. The students are able to build community with a cohort of students as they matriculate through the program. My major responsibilities included developing and implementing workshops for third-year students in YCAP, creating surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops, and to co-facilitate 
weekly seminars with the first-year students in the program. My experience with the program so far has given me an opportunity to provide personal, academic, and social support to undergraduate students in ways that I believe will assist in improving access and retention rates.
The Y-Collegiate Achievers Program, much like many other unique programs at the University YMCA, allows students to grow from program participants to leaders and ambassadors. The University YMCA has proven to be a place for college students to further develop leadership skills through various opportunities that emphasize youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Personally, the UY is a place that permits opportunities for professional development as a leader in programs and a home to practice commitment to youth development. It is a place to celebrate success of peers and build networks.