“I am forever grateful to Pioneer Scholars for giving me a support system my freshman year, and for teaching me not only how to survive college, but how to make lifelong friends.”
- Jessica Koebel
“The Pioneer Scholars program provides me with a community of like-minded students who are facing similar issues and concerns with transitioning into college life. My motive to attend Pioneer events is to meet with my group of science majors and discuss the classes we have in common. My mentor is one of my most valuable resources on campus. I am thankful Pioneer Scholars takes the time to select mentors based on majors and pre-professional programs. When I have concerns about current classes, or future classes, my mentor is a text or email away. She not only advises me on an academic basis, but also on a personal level by inviting me to join clubs and campus activities. I always look forward to meetings because we are surrounded by people who truly care and want us to succeed.” — Briana Conner
Throughout my academic career I have been involved in many activities in my schools. However, none of which have been like Pioneer Scholars. I remember coming in to Pioneers at the beginning of the school year and thinking “Great... a class that is going to force me to talk to random people.” Little did I know, I would come to know and respect all the people in my group. It didn’t really hit me as to what the purpose of the class was until we started getting further into the first semester. I would be walking around campus and I would see the people in my group and I got to spark conversation with them and got to know them even more. I started coming back to the Pioneer Scholar meetings with more confidence and much more willingness. One of the meetings, it meant everything to me that I went, because I was given a simple yet profound explanation as to why I’m even at college. My peer mentor was talking with a few other of my friends around and she said, “Explore, that’s the best way to find where you want to be.” That’s when it hit me, Pioneer Scholars isn’t about just getting to know people, it’s about searching out where I’m truly confident and comfortable at college. I’ve found that Pioneers has helped me so much in my transition from High School just by making me open up, and help me feel that this college is truly my home. After all, a Pioneer is someone who is venturing into unknown waters deciding where they want to land. Pioneer Scholars helped me realize and made it more comfortable to finally say with confidence, “This is where I belong, I am a Knight.” — Caleb Satterly
“Pioneers is a place to meet people, be inspired and motivated, and find assistance where it’s needed most. The Pioneer Scholars Program gave me the foundations I needed to excel at Bellarmine.” — Megan West