🏆 Colleges Need More Role Models

The Transformative Power of Visible Examples

The world runs on role models. This is a truth we've seen play out time and again across different domains. In sports, once a record is broken, it's often shattered multiple times in quick succession. Take the milestones in a 100-meter sprint—the 10-second barrier and the 9.5-second barrier, for example. The same pattern repeats itself in competitive exams, professional achievements, world records, and more. Sometimes, just knowing something is possible unleashes a new level of motivation in the human mind.

Also, think about communities that dominate particular professions. While inherited knowledge and resources play a role, there's something more fundamental at work: the power of visible examples. Consider how many kids pursue the same careers as their parents or close relatives, not because they're forced to, but because they genuinely want to. Could we fall in love with a certain type of work simply by seeing others do it with passion? [1] Imagine how many more of us could achieve more in life if we were better connected with others like us who have done it before.

For every trailblazer who achieved the "impossible" because they didn't know any better, there are thousands more who succeeded precisely because they saw someone else do it first. And it's a whole lot easier when that someone resembles them in more ways than one. And it's not like the trailblazers didn't require inspirational role models in their early days, before they became groundbreakers.

The Catalytic Impact on College Students

This is why role models can be absolute game-changers for college students, especially those facing systemic barriers. [2] Don't just take our word for it—numerous surveys, research papers, and studies back all our claims up. [3] [4] [5]

Role models serve as living proof that success is possible, no matter the odds. By representing diverse groups, they ensure every student, regardless of background, has someone to identify with. They make aspirations tangible while providing guidance and motivation. Driven by example, students push themselves to emulate their mentors, leading to similarly positive outcomes. After all, visibility and representation are essential for education and awareness.

Still not convinced? Consider why certain schools produce wildly disproportionate numbers of entrepreneurs, presidents, or Supreme Court justices compared to peer institutions, even those that are often equally good. It comes down to culture—specifically, a culture steeped in visible role models. Most people intellectually understand the various possibilities, paths, professions, and ways to contribute to society available to them. But we're much more likely to gravitate toward paths we've seen up close. As the saying goes, "You can't be what you can't see."

The One Victory That Multiplies

This rings particularly true for those facing systemic barriers. In communities battling multi-generational disadvantages, the scope of possibility can feel severely limited by societal expectations and lack of access. Their abilities and aspirations can become constrained by cultural barriers and even outright oppression that has sometimes spanned multiple generations. Envisioning a different future becomes a monumental challenge when one is facing limitations stemming from one's background, finances, and family responsibilities. [6]

But even in the bleakest circumstances, sometimes all it takes is one student defying the odds to inspire their entire community. And the beautiful thing? That impact multiplies, slowly but exponentially, creating cycles of achievement and giving back. Make no mistake, it's never simple. But sowing those first seeds of accomplishment is unbelievably powerful. What's more, those who benefit often recognize how crucial others were in their own journeys. And they feel compelled to pay it forward, having experienced firsthand the power of guidance. Role models create role models!

The Developing-World Gap

However, as with many resources, developing world colleges face a stark disadvantage when it comes to role models. Remember those studies and surveys mentioned earlier? All of them come from developed countries, which further highlights the problems. Schools in lower-income nations are too busy fighting bigger fires to even quantify this issue, let alone address it. But we can absolutely extrapolate that the challenges are even more acute in the developing world, given the dearth of both role models and ways to connect with them. After all, the harsh reality is that the developing world gets the short end of the stick when it comes to most, if not all, global issues, and this case is no exception.

Many college students in the developing world are the first in their families, or even their entire villages, to pursue a college degree. [7] [8] [9] Students from less privileged backgrounds or less-connected families (and there's no shortage of them in the developing world), and those who dare to pursue traditionally unorthodox fields, often have no one to look up to.

The Early Career Dilemma

Moreover, the educational systems in developing versus developed countries are worlds apart. Ever wonder why countries like India produce a disproportionately large number of engineers who end up in totally unrelated careers? Unlike their Western counterparts, exposure to most fields comes much later in life for all but the most elite schools. Internships or working during schooling are virtually unheard of. Career counseling in the developing world is often perfunctory or misaligned and unavailable to most of the population. The very suggestion of picking a career path, and even the freedom to do so, comes later in life. Sure, they develop many superficial interests over time, but the practical realities of a profession can only be conveyed by someone who's walked that path, and those people are seldom accessible to students. With limited insight into the day-to-day aspects of different paths, almost all students rely on hearsay and parental pressure in choosing specializations. The most secure and well-understood options, like engineering, become the default. The irony is that it is completely acceptable for many of these engineers to end up in entirely unrelated careers, but only after an immense investment of time and resources.

The High Stakes of Late Decisions

The outcome? Tons of students enter university with zero clue about what they actually want to be, which is even more concerning when you consider that most developing world colleges make you lock in your major from day one, with no option to switch. So you've got students pigeonholed into a specific branch of engineering or commerce, now scrambling to reconcile that with their true passions in a cutthroat pressure-cooker environment, while also trying to figure out what those passions are by exploring various fields! All while competing for limited resources against the lucky few who stumbled into the right field, or the grim-faced many who simply resign themselves to it. Throw in the stress of lifting your family out of poverty or middle class, bearing more responsibility than they can shoulder, trying to gain the baseline soft skills expected of college graduates but never taught in high school, and trying to have some fun along the way. If juggling all this doesn't necessitate help from those who have been there, then we're not sure what would!

In developing economies, the late start can be brutally handicapping. The self-discovery and experimentation that should ideally start in adolescence get crammed into the first years of college. Even future high-achievers commonly spend almost all of their undergraduate years just exploring. There are definitely benefits to exploring, but there's also something to be said for focus, especially given how cutthroat the job market is in developing countries, with their massive youth populations and limited high-paying opportunities. Getting an early start doesn't just give individuals a leg up—it eventually makes the entire population more productive. When everyone hits the ground running, it's a rising tide that lifts all boats.

A Personal Anecdote

I remember a conversation I had with a classmate on our very first day of engineering school. He asked me if I saw myself becoming an engineer. "No way, I find it boring," I replied. "I would go for something more creative in a non-engineering domain. I chose this college because it would be a great launchpad to figure myself out and explore." He wasn't surprised. That's what all of us were advised to do. I was far from alone. "What about you?" I asked. "I'm very passionate about science and engineering!" he said. Fast forward four years, and our convictions had flipped! I was head over heels for science and engineering and wound up an engineer by choice, throwing myself into it for my entire time there. I was now the ardent engineer, while he dabbled in various other areas, finding success in many, although none of them were related to engineering, before eventually settling on one. And he had discovered an entirely different calling! We both ended up deeply fulfilled, but neither could have predicted this trajectory.

What brought the change? For me, it was learning about the entrepreneurs and tech visionaries of our time, seeing seniors and peers who were truly lit up by engineering, and eventually connecting with alums who painted a vivid picture of an engineer's and an entrepreneur's actual day-to-day life. For him, it was bonding with seniors from his home state who were successful in creative fields. What made the difference for us both? The right and relatable role models!

Misinformation, Rumors, and Lost Potential

This could explain why we don't see as many young coding, engineering, or other whiz kids from developing countries in fields beyond the school syllabus, proportionally speaking, even though they churn out a decent number of star performers eventually. It's not for lack of aptitude but for lack of exposure and guidance at a critical juncture. Most schools don't give kids any idea of what any job entails. Then, they're expected to choose a study track at the age of 14, and sometimes as early as 12. Sadly, even many colleges fall short in accurately conveying the reality of the fields their students are studying. Forget experiencing the day-to-day, they don't even know what the fields entail.

In the absence of facts, rumors and generalizations spread through families and neighborhoods. Internalized societal prejudices and misconceptions only add to the confusion. Those half-baked assumptions end up informing major life decisions. Add to that the say and control that many parents and families have over their children, and students end up making many questionable decisions. I've heard parents advise daughters away from engineering because it is "not for girls," in reference to computer science—statistically the most gender-balanced engineering discipline. Another family fretted, "Our son shouldn't pursue engineering because his vision impairment might hurt his job prospects." The vision impairment was very minor, and I was fortunately able to dispel that concern. And these are privileged households we're talking about, with access to money, education, counselors, and the internet. Given this fog of misinformation, misconceptions, and questionable judgments, the necessity of advice and mentorship in higher education becomes all the more important. [10]

Breaking Down Barriers

For students in developing countries, limited exposure to a diversity of careers, lifestyles, and paths in life can stifle their ability to envision a different future for themselves. This is where role models can be so powerful in countering social stereotypes or inspiring unorthodox career choices. They expand possibilities, spark higher aspirations and bigger dreams, and ignite the tantalizing thought, "If they can do it, maybe I can too." This impact often flies under the radar because it's psychological.

Role models don't need to have a history devoid of failures or some ready-made blueprint for success with all the answers. Their failures can also inspire and provide guidance for making the right choices. [11] In developing world colleges, where everything that's actually a marathon feels like a sprint, a guiding light can make all the difference, sharing hard-won wisdom at pivotal moments. Role models form a safety net, helping students clear hurdle after hurdle. Above all, they instill the bedrock belief that success is possible, no matter what.

While the value of role models is undeniable, actually connecting students with mentors remains a huge challenge in developing countries, especially at scale. Geographic and financial constraints limit in-person access, while a lack of scalable platforms prevents students from finding role models beyond their immediate circles, which are often barren and homogeneous to begin with, offering little exposure to different possibilities.

Bridging the Gap Through Relfeed

The Power of Shared Journeys

Disadvantaged youth face many gaps—guidance, professional networks, and cultural and social capital. Connecting with role models is not always necessary or possible. Even knowing about them is often enough to spark motivation. Learning from their life stories, both the successes and failures, and gaining perspective is sufficient. Being able to communicate with them is definitely a bonus! And Relfeed helps students do both! It helps them go above and beyond by enabling one-on-one connections for practical advice, industry insights, access to networks, and new opportunities. But perhaps most importantly, Relfeed allows role models to provide the emotional support and confidence-building that disadvantaged students so desperately need.

Representation matters—relatability matters. The more a role model shares in common with a student, the deeper that student can connect with them. That's why we look for similarities with our celebrities or people we look up to, why we gravitate to people who reflect parts of ourselves, however superficial. Sometimes, we even invent similarities that aren't there. It's just human nature. So imagine the transformative power of Relfeed connecting these students with inspiring figures who are not only excelling in their dream fields but also mirror them in other meaningful ways. Whole new horizons open up. Potential is unshackled. Technology has the power to bridge the physical distance between students and their busy role models, and Relfeed leverages that to enable an informal, sustainable virtual mentorship program and community.

The Great Equalizer

What if a student in the remotest village or the most underserved neighborhood could tap into a global support network, gaining exposure to an unprecedented array of careers and possibilities? Relfeed allows that! With Relfeed, a small-town learner could connect with trailblazers who share their background and journey. A first-generation college goer could find mentors who intimately understand the obstacles they face. Refugees and international students could link with leaders who've walked their path. The potential for this web of support to ignite ambition and empowerment is boundless. Our advanced networking technology is poised to be an absolute game-changer on this front.

Imagine if we come together—educators, innovators, changemakers, and technologists—to leverage the power of role models and the catalyst that is technology, in service of students everywhere, especially those in the developing world who need it most. We can create a world where every young person, no matter their background, can find someone relatable who can guide, enlighten, or motivate them toward the success and bright future that they deserve and desire. A world where every student, regardless of location or pedigree, has access to a network of mentors, leaders, and peers to look up to. A world where a girl in a remote village can be set ablaze by the story of a successful female entrepreneur who shares her hometown and ethnicity. Where a first-gen college student can be taken under the wing of an executive who walked the same rocky path.

With a platform like Relfeed, thoughtfully designed with empathy and understanding for the unique needs of the developing world, we can bridge the role model gap for millions upon millions by harnessing the power of our advanced networking technology. This is our mission. Our driving purpose. And if we band together, we know we can make it a reality. So that the rising stars of today can become the guiding stars of tomorrow. So that those who use Relfeed to find their role models today become the role models of tomorrow.

Curious to learn more about how Relfeed tackles this challenge? We foster networking and collaboration through AI. Get in touch with us to learn more!