UNC-Chapel Hill hosted the Kessler Scholars Collaborative’s fifth annual Summer Convening on July 22-23, bringing together leaders from the national network of 16 institutions, including Carolina. The Kessler Scholars Collaborative was founded at the University of Michigan and is supported by the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation along with Bloomberg Philanthropies. Carolina’s Kessler scholars program specifically supports first-generation scholars from rural North Carolina, many of whom major in science, technology, engineering or math. At the convening, some of Carolina’s Kessler scholars made it clear why the program matters. Candice Williams— who supervises the Kessler scholars program at Carolina — shared the ways Kessler scholars receive support and unique opportunities at Carolina.