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Early in the fall semester, first-year student Kiara Young ’29 already felt grounded in her direction. “I have a clear sense of how what I am studying connects to where I want to be in a future career,” says the healthcare policy major. “That alignment gives me confidence and pride.”

That clarity is intentional. It reflects the design of (M)POWER, Mount Saint Mary’s comprehensive, four-year student career readiness initiative launched in fall 2025.

(M)POWER is a four-year program built into the undergraduate curriculum that helps students connect their coursework, career goals and personal development from their first semester through graduation. The program builds on the Mount’s century-long tradition of exceptional teaching, mentoring and advising. It aligns those strengths into a unified journey that intentionally links learning, reflection and preparation for life beyond college.

A Research-Informed, Data-Driven Approach

National research underscores the importance of helping students make meaningful connections between their education and the lives they hope to build. While most students begin college expecting their academic experience to support long-term career success, many report uncertainty about how individual courses and decisions connect to future opportunities. A recent workforce study conducted by McGraw Hill found that only 41% of U.S. college students, and just 43% of seniors, feel “very” or “extremely” prepared for their future careers, highlighting the growing complexity of preparing students for a rapidly changing workforce.

For Mount students, many of whom are first-generation and navigating career pathways without established professional networks, the cost of uncertainty is high. That is why intentional and coordinated guidance during their college years is critical to their mobility and professional success.

A Four-Year Pathway, Integrated with the Curriculum

(M)POWER is designed as a universal experience for all undergraduate students, ensuring equitable access to career preparation along with the Mount’s academic rigor and liberal arts foundation.

For many students, the journey begins even before the first semester. Summer Pathways is a six-week, no-cost, jumpstart program designed for incoming students. In the program, students earn academic credit, build relationships with faculty and peers, and discover the cultural and professional ecosystem of Los Angeles.

“Summer Pathways helps students see themselves as college students from day one,” says Elizabeth Sturgeon, PhD, interim assistant provost, director of Summer Pathways, and Summer Pathways seminar instructor. “They leave the program with a clear understanding of the resources available to them and a strong sense of what it means to be part of the Mount community.”

Kimberly Cano-Ortiz ‘29, a first-generation student from downtown Los Angeles and a pre nursing major, was one of the 67 students who participated in the inaugural program last summer. “It is a great opportunity to become familiar with campus, meet my future classmates and professors, and start the fall semester on the right foot,” says Kimberly.

As all first-year students begin their studies at Mount Saint Mary’s, they participate in the nationally recognized Career Launch program as part of the First-Year Seminar (FYS). As the first university in the nation to embed the Career Launch curriculum into a required first-year experience, the Mount partners with this national leader in career readiness to ensure students begin thinking about their futures from their very first semester.

As students progress through their sophomore and junior years, (M)POWER supports professional development through internships and externships, individualized career coaching and leadership opportunities. In addition, students can complement their Mount education by earning a free micro-credential that demonstrates real world competencies in high-demand fields, such as Fundamentals of Leadership and Strategy, AI for Marketing or Cybersecurity and UX Design, among many other offerings.

Demand for this kind of support is accelerating. The Mount has seen a 69% year-over-year increase in career coaching appointments, a strong indicator that students are proactively investing in their professional futures.

By senior year, students integrate their experiences through professional portfolios, networking with alumnae and industry leaders, and targeted preparation for employment or graduate study.

Career Launch: A Defining First-Year Experience

Career Launch is a cornerstone of (M)POWER and a distinguishing feature of the Mount’s approach, guiding students through a structured, step-by-step process of identifying their strengths, exploring career pathways, researching industries and developing networking and professional skills. Integrated directly into the curriculum, it reinforces academic learning with intentional self-discovery and practical preparation for life beyond college.

“Weaving (M)POWER into the well-established FYS experience reflects the Mount’s deep commitment to ensuring our students graduate with the skills and tools they need to thrive in their future careers and their lives,” says Dr. Sturgeon. “From day one, students are encouraged to think about how their education connects to their future and how they can start building that future now.”

For biochemistry major Valerie Alvarado ’29, FYS has already been a turning point. “I did not expect to be thinking about my career so early,” she says. “But now I see how important it is. Career Launch is helping me envision the future I want and prepare for it now.”

A Hallmark of (M)POWER: The Athenian Advisory Team

A hallmark of (M)POWER is the Athenian Advisory Team, an integrated advising model that supports students consistently across all four years. Each student benefits from a coordinated network that includes a faculty advisor, career specialist, academic success coach, financial aid counselor and peer mentor.

In its first full semester, (M)POWER facilitated 774 advisory meetings across all class years. Among first-year students, 97% (558 students) completed their required fall (M)POWER advising meeting, and 92% also met with their faculty advisor. These numbers reflect the value of structured advising conversations that connect academic decisions with long-term goals.

“At the Mount, student success has always been the result of extraordinary faculty and staff working closely with students, often well beyond what is expected,” says Adam G. Weyhaupt, PhD, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “(M)POWER honors that commitment by aligning our efforts, amplifying our collective expertise and ensuring that every student benefits from the depth of care, mentorship and guidance our community provides.”

For students, the impact is practical and measurable. Advisors help students remain on track to graduate, identify experiential learning opportunities, navigate financial considerations and make informed decisions as interests and aspirations evolve.

With nearly every first-year student completing required (M)POWER advising meetings in the fall, the coordinated model is already demonstrating strong early engagement and accountability.

With the Athenian Advisory Team as a foundation, (M)POWER reinforces the Mount’s promise that students are known, supported and prepared academically, professionally and personally as they move toward graduation and lives of leadership.

Excellence, Measured and Sustained

A defining feature of (M)POWER is the University’s commitment to continuous, evidence-based improvement. The Mount is engaged in a five-year assessment partially funded by The Seaver Institute, a longtime partner in advancing innovation in higher education.

This comprehensive study examines student outcomes including retention, graduation, career readiness competencies and post-graduation success. The assessment is designed to support real-time learning that will allow the University to refine program components as data emerge.

“(M)POWER represents one of our most ambitious commitments to transforming student outcomes through a coordinated, career-centered approach,” says Mount Saint Mary’s President Ann McElaney-Johnson, PhD. “The Seaver Institute’s support allows us to measure the transformative elements of this model and share learnings that can strengthen higher education far beyond our campus.”

A Community Investment

Today, (M)POWER is primarily donor-funded. What began with initial federal support is now sustained through the extraordinary generosity of alumnae, donors and friends who believe deeply in the Mount’s mission and its students.

As changes in the national funding environment emerged, the University made a strategic decision to invite its community to invest directly in this work. They answered that call, ensuring that (M)POWER will continue to grow.

This collective investment guarantees that every Mount undergraduate has equal access to career preparation embedded directly into the curriculum, from their first days on campus through graduation. Because of donor support, students benefit from coordinated advising, expanded career coaching and professional development opportunities that strengthen both confidence and clarity.

(M)POWER affirms the Mount’s enduring belief that education should open doors, expand opportunity and prepare students for lives of leadership, service and impact.