by Catherine Wong, IRT Associate Director & Manager of Programs
This summer, IRT welcomed 100 scholars to a fully virtual Summer Workshop hosted by RingCentral Events focused on academic, personal, and professional growth. Through Critical Conversations, Writing for Graduate School seminars, Recruiters’ Weekend preparation, scholar presentations, alumni engagement, and community-building activities, scholars explored both the practical and personal dimensions of preparing for graduate education.
What stood out most in scholars’ reflections was a greater sense of confidence and clarity about how their experiences, identities, and aspirations could shape their futures and contribute to broader efforts toward equity and social change.
Faculty’s end of summer insights focused on the power of the Summer Workshop to demystify the hidden curriculum in graduate education while creating opportunities for scholars to learn from one another. Their observations echoed what we continue to see year after year: when scholars are invited to bring their full selves into the learning process, they thrive.
The Summer Workshop laid an important foundation for the months ahead, helping scholars develop the confidence, connections, and critical questions they carried into Recruiters’ Weekend and the overall application process.
Recruiters’ Weekend: Broadening Horizons
One of the highlights of the summer was our annual Recruiters’ Weekend, which brought together scholars, alumni, faculty, and IRT Consortium graduate school representatives from across the country. While the event provides valuable information about programs and admissions, it is also an opportunity for scholars to engage directly with institutions, ask meaningful questions, and envision paths they may not have previously considered.
Throughout the weekend, scholars connected deeply with recruiters and fellow IRT alumni. Many left with a clearer understanding of their priorities and future goals.
As one scholar reflected:
“My conversations with schools that weren’t on my list have been the best ones.”
Another shared that they gained:
“clarity about what I am looking for and what I value not only in grad programs but also in my career direction.”
What moved me most were the expressions of gratitude shared during the closing session. One scholar wrote:
“I’m so grateful to be in community with y’all here at IRT.”
Another shared they were:
“so grateful for everyone and this space this weekend.”
These reflections remind us that access is not simply about information. It is about creating opportunities for people to see themselves in spaces that once felt out of reach.
Perhaps my favorite reflection of the weekend came from a scholar who simply wrote:
“so much joy!! IRT love.”
In many ways, those four words captured the spirit of the entire experience.
Additional articles on the 2026 IRT Summer Workshop:
