STUDENT AFFAIRS

'Shared Understanding' through Northwestern’s Beacon Scholars Program

Krissy McGee ’24 reflects on the mentorship, support and opportunities that shaped her undergraduate experience

A Midwest-proof winter coat, a paid summer internship and a mentor might seem unrelated, but for Beacon Scholars, they are all part of the same promise: a commitment to helping students thrive at Northwestern and beyond. 

Each year, approximately 30-40 first-generation, lower-income and undocumented/DACA students are selected for the cohort-based scholarship program based on their leadership capacity, intellectual potential, resilience and commitment to their communities. In addition to financial aid, Beacon Scholars provides wraparound support throughout students’ four years at Northwestern, including mentorship, paid summer opportunities, extracurricular funding and financial wellness education.  
 
For Krissy McGee, Beacon Scholars became a source of support as she navigated starting college during the COVID-19 pandemic as a first-generation, low-income student. “I was finally able to meet people who could understand where I was coming from and join me on this new path,” McGee said.  
 
McGee graduated from Northwestern University in 2024 with a double major in neuroscience and biological sciences. She is currently completing Northwestern’s dual-degree program for a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling and a Master of Arts in Medical Humanities & Bioethics, and she will soon begin her career as a research genetic counselor at Yale University. 
 
McGee credits Sharitza Rivera-Millett, senior director of Student Enrichment Services, the unit that oversees the Beacon Scholars, with inspiring her to join the cohort and serving as a key figure in her support system throughout her time as an undergraduate.  
 
“Sharitza and the friends I made in my cohort would become my rock,” McGee said. “The support from this community felt different. It was coming from a place of shared understanding that allowed me to feel seen during my lowest points.”  
 
McGee said she especially felt the impact of the Beacon Scholars program when she received a financial aid letter that showed a significantly higher cost than expected. After reaching out to Rivera-Millett, she connected with Northwestern's Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid and realized she had completed the FAFSA incorrectly. Before the issue was resolved, McGee said she worked 60 hours a week over the summer and 20 hours a week during the school year, experiencing intense financial pressure. With the help of Undergraduate Financial Aid, she was able to receive a complete aid package. The additional support allowed her to reduce her work hours, taking back time to focus on her education and extracurriculars. 
 
Beacon also helped McGee discover her career path. When she arrived at Northwestern, she was committed to the pre-med track. By her junior year, however, she began to question her reasons for pursuing medicine and felt stuck. She turned to Rivera-Millett for guidance, and together they explored her concerns and planned her next steps. Through conversations with her advisors and members of her network, McGee discovered genetic counseling as a potential future career. Beacon also connected her with the Office of Undergraduate Research and the Emerging Scholars Program, which helped her become a competitive graduate school applicant and shaped her future in genetic counseling.  
 
For McGee, the impact of her time as a Beacon Scholar extended far beyond her years as an undergraduate student. Through mentorship, community and access to opportunities, the program helped shape her Northwestern experience and continues to influence her professional life to date.