From Project to Program: How Kathleen Jones-West Founded UC Berkeley's Starting Point Mentorship Program

June 2, 2026

For many prospective community college students, applying to the number one public university can be daunting and impossible. For Kathleen Jones-West, that distance once felt insurmountable, even when she was living a few blocks away from UC Berkeley! But today, thanks to her vision, perseverance, and the support of the Miller Scholars Program, thousands of transfer students have been able to bridge that gap.

As the Miller Scholars Program nears its third decade in operation, the story of how Jones-West founded the Starting Point Mentorship Program (SPMP) remains one of CE3’s most inspiring blueprints for community impact.

Overcoming the Odds

In her 30s, Kathleen Jones-West entered Vista Community College (now Berkeley City College), and she simply wanted to learn how to use a computer. At the time, he was navigating a difficult family situation: her husband had been incapacitated by a seizure and left to raise her two young boys on her own, an experience that she described as degrading and debilitating. She knew that higher education was her family’s only true path to long-term stability.

Despite her determination, she was met with skepticism. When she expressed interest in continuing her education, a community college counselor told her she wouldn’t fit in at UC Berkeley, noting that “Berkeley is for scholars.”

Jones-West refused to let someone else define her future and potential. She applied anyway, was accepted, and transferred to UC Berkeley in 1998.

Black-and-white photograph of a smiling person with shoulder-length hair and glasses seated outdoors with their hands clasped together. The person is wearing a dark long-sleeved sweater and is looking toward the camera.

Kathleen Jones-West is sitting outside the Cesar Chavez Center, 2002 (Source: The Graduate)

The Miller Scholars Impact

Upon arriving at Berkeley, Jones-West’s academic excellence and leadership potential earned her a spot in the George A. Miller Scholars Program. Created in 1997 by retired investment banker and Berkeley alumnus George A. Miller, the program was designed specifically to provide economic and academic resources to low-income, first-generation transfer students.

A central requirement of the Miller Scholars Program is that participants must design and implement either an original research project or a community-service project alongside a faculty mentor. Armed with a $7,000 stipend and a passion to pave the way for others, Jones-West knew exactly what her “Miller Project” would be.

Remembering how unsure and afraid she felt at community college, she returned to Vista Community College in the summer of 1999. She initially designed a course aimed at helping students boost their self-esteem and build the academic confidence required to apply to a four-year university.

That summer initiative quickly evolved into something much larger: the Starting Point Mentorship Program.

Bridging the Gap

The core philosophy of SPMP was simple yet revolutionary: pair current UC Berkeley students who had “walked in the same shoes” with community college students to guide them through the daunting admissions and transition process.

The Program demystified UC Berkeley. Mentors walked prospective students around campus, introduced them to professors, and helped them align their academic schedules so no time was wasted.

The formula worked. By the fall of 2001, the first wave of Vista graduates mentored under the program arrived at UC Berkeley. Recognizing its profound impact, UC Berkeley institutionalized SPMP, housing it within the Transfer, Re-entry, and Student Parent Center.

What began as a single summer project at Vista Community College expanded rapidly across the Bay Area to San Francisco City College, Contra Costa College, and Chabot College, training hundreds of Berkeley students to become mentors.

A Lasting Legacy

Jones-West eventually graduated and transitioned into UC Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare for graduate school, passing the leadership of SPMP to the university. Yet, the foundations she laid continue to change lives. Administrators have lauded SPMP as a “critical” tool for institutional outreach, directly aligning with the University of California’s broader goals of expanding access to underrepresented students.

Jones-West’s legacy continues to support prospective community college students today. Katalina Cortez currently serves as the advisor for SPMP, working alongside two student coordinators who help oversee the program.

As a transfer student at Berkeley, Katalina remembers seeing flyers at the Transfer Student Center recruiting new mentors for the program. After joining as a mentor, she realized that she enjoyed working with students, which inspired her to pursue a career in higher education.

“I realized that I really liked working with students, especially community college students, which led me to work at Las Positas College as a Counselor’s Assistant. I really enjoyed working with community college students and meeting them where they were in their educational journeys. That’s how I figured out that I wanted to work in higher education—it was through the Starting Point Mentorship Program.”

Now serving as the program’s advisor, Katalina leads the same program she once participated in, describing the experience as “the tables have turned.” Drawing on her experiences as a student mentor, she applies lessons learned both through SPMP and in the classroom to foster a supportive community centered on transfer student success and mentorship.

Katalina notes that SPMP provides prospective community college students with an opportunity to learn about Berkeley on a personal level through their assigned mentor, a student who has recently navigated the same journey they hope to undertake. Students from first-generation and low-income backgrounds can also connect with mentors who share similar experiences and receive guidance throughout the UC application process, not just for UC Berkeley.

For current transfer students, Katalina explains that SPMP offers one of the first opportunities to take on a leadership role at Berkeley while giving back to the transfer community. Through mentorship, students develop skills and experiences that they can carry forward throughout their undergraduate careers and into their future professional and academic pursuits

Kathleen Jones-West’s journey proves that when you empower non-traditional students, they don’t just succeed, they reach back and pull the next generation up with them. The Starting Point Mentorship Program is a shining testament to what happens when a student scholar is given the resources to turn a personal dream into a campus legacy.

A smiling graduate sits on a stone balustrade in front of a large neoclassical campus building with tall columns and ornate architectural details. She wears a white blouse, blue jeans, brown sandals, and a blue-and-gold Berkeley graduation stole.

Courtesy of Katalina Cortez

Five students sit and stand behind an information table beneath a sign reading “62 Starting Point Mentorship Program.” The students smile toward the camera while seated under a canopy outdoors.