Blue Chip and the College of Medicine

My name is Jessica Hill and I am one of the staff members that works with our Blue Chip Leadership Experience here on campus. Blue Chip is a nationally renowned foundational engagement experience on campus that helps students develop critical leadership skills, explore important leadership topics, and connect them to a community on campus. 

As a quick overview of the First Year Experience - in the fall semester, all of the first year students (this year there were almost 600 of them!) are placed on teams of approximately 15 students led by a year 3 or 4 Blue Chip student who serves as a peer mentor. The teams meet weekly, each week focusing on a different leadership or college adjustment topic. The teams also participate in three big events throughout the semester: a team-building event (ropes course or field day competition), a lip sync competition (called Blue Sync), and a community service event.

This year, we decided to cohort the first year teams by college enrollment with the objective of helping students to connect with each other and their peer mentor around common classes and involvement opportunities. We had approximately 75 students who are on one of our five College of Medicine teams. The team leaders were charged with identifying things that are going in the college and helping connect their students to those events. We received very positive feedback about our cohorts, hearing from students that they were able to form study groups, see each other in class, and serve as supports to each other.

Jessica Hill

Associate Director
Leadership & Career Education

Student Union Memorial Center, room 409H | 1303 E. University Blvd. |  Tucson, Arizona 85721

Office: 520-621-8065 | leadership.arizona.edu