SSELF began with a few students with a simple goal: sustaining the CBSD biotechnology partnership program, while gaining students hands-on experience. 

As biotechnology students ourselves, we saw firsthand how valuable experiential learning was — not just in the classroom, but through our research internships. We also recognized how easily programs like the biotech program could disappear without strong student support and advocacy. What started as an effort to sustain a program quickly became something much bigger.

Today, SSELF is driven by a passion for creating meaningful experiential learning opportunities for students across all disciplines. We believe students learn best when they are empowered to apply their knowledge in real-world settings, work alongside peers, and build skills that extend beyond academics (hence our subcommittees: donor relations, communications, events coordination, I.T.!). 

What makes SSELF special is that it is student-built and student-centered. We understand the challenges, ambitions, and curiosity that students bring because we started in the same place. Our mission is to create opportunities that inspire growth, confidence, innovation, and community — ensuring future students have access to the same transformative experiences that shaped us.

Many students know where to go for piano lessons or where to join a soccer team, but we hope this can be a place for our students to go for real world professional experiences. 

SSELF is more than an organization. It is a commitment to supporting students, sustaining experiential education, and building pathways for the next generation of leaders and innovators!