Student Stories

We’ve collected stories from our partners to share with you. Making an impact on campus and in students’ lives is our top priority. Their success stories are what inspire us.

Hillel at UCLA

Program: Learning to Lead
“I feel more connected to my Jewish identity as a leader. I appreciated the sessions being framed in the context of Jewish texts or happenings, as while I’ve been through many leadership sessions before, I’ve never had them connected to try Jewish identity.”

“These meetings really brought the Hillel leaders together and created a community and sense of closeness. Honestly hanging out with my Fellow Jewish Bruins before meeting every other week was something I looked forwards to.”

Hillel at USC

Program: Frestfest – Immersive Experiences
“I could not have thought of a better way to start off my time at USC. FreshFest was such a valuable experience because it allowed me to meet other Jewish Trojans who were also new to USC and in the same position as I was. FreshFest allowed me to meet people instantly, many who actually ended up being some of my closest friends.”

Jewish Graduate Student Initiative

Program: Ethics & Leadership Fellowship
“As someone who recently moved to Los Angeles, JGSI gave me my first sense of community here. Before moving to Los Angeles, I was very much involved in Jewish life, but I felt I had no idea how to begin here. JGSI helped me fill this void by surrounding me with like-minded peers, philanthropies, and Jewish mentors here in LA. I am very thankful for my experience in the fellowship and would highly recommend it to others.”

Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus

Program: Nooshe Jon
“During my busy college schedule it’s easy to get caught up in the work, quizzes, and tests, so having a set time once a week to sit back, relax, and enjoy some lunch with friends is refreshing to say the least. Knowing a free, kosher meal is coming my way at least once a week in a positive environment with friends and smiling faces from the JLIC staff helps me de-stress. And learning about topics you don’t find in a typical college curriculum reminds me that it’s important to seek personal growth outside of an academic setting: this past quarter when students had the opportunity to speak about the story of their family’s immigration from Iran to America, I was able to get to know my classmates/friends on a more intimate level – and attendees in general definitely felt a stronger sense of community from hearing each other’s stories too.”