As our IRT Cohort submits their final applications and awaits responses from graduate programs, please join me in pausing and celebrating this past year’s Statement of Purpose Advisor’s (SOPA’s), the incredible mentors who walked alongside our aspiring scholars through this transformative journey.
Your impact shows up in every reflection since our first advising meetings. Scholars recognized that their research holds value even while in progress, that their community work carries equal weight to institutional opportunities, and that their varied experiences aren’t fragmented but intentional. You helped them honor strengths they’d overlooked and reclaim narratives about experiences they’d been taught to diminish.
You gave them permission to write imperfectly first and edit later, breaking through the paralysis that comes from trying to get everything right from the start. You helped them find voices they worried had been lost, stand their ground on their own research visions, and tell authentic stories without apology.
But perhaps most powerfully, you modeled the mentorship they deserve. You knew them by name and cared about their lives. You met twice weekly when deadlines demanded it, never judged their “word vomit,” and understood they are human first. You held them accountable with patience, provided honest feedback with transparency, and celebrated their unique ideas.
“My SOPA is absolutely amazing,” one participant shared. “I’m going to miss our weekly chats and working with him.” Another simply said: “10/10 experience.”
Your flexibility taught them about their own collaboration preferences. Your consistency showed them what reliable mentorship looks like. Your cultural understanding helped those feeling isolated by intersectionality know they’re not alone. You were coaches, sounding boards, champions.
As participants navigate the uncertainty of waiting, worrying about funding, fighting imposter syndrome, wondering “what if?”, they carry forward more than polished applications. They carry transformed self-understanding, clearer research visions, and confidence in their scholarly identities. Whether they receive acceptances this cycle or find alternative paths, you’ve given them tools and wisdom that will serve them for years to come.
Thank you for your generosity, your expertise, and your genuine care. Thank you for helping our participants not just prepare for graduate school, but also lean into the scholars they already are.
Mahalo nui loa (with much appreciation),
Catherine
Catherine Wong
Associate Director & Manager of Programs
Institute for Recruitment of Teachers 