From: Abigail Soto Bustamante
Date: March 9
Subject: Underground Scholars: Our Final Newsletter This Quarter 📩


Underground Scholars Intake Form

Our services are eligible to all carceral system-impacted UCI affiliates in compliance with Proposition 209. To join the Underground Scholars Program, please complete the intake form below.

Happy Week 10!

We can’t believe we are already in Week 10—time truly flies! With finals right around the corner, the Underground Scholars Program would like to wish you the best of luck. We are incredibly proud of you for making it this far and for all the hard work you have put in throughout the quarter.

We would also like to congratulate everyone who is graduating this quarter. Your dedication and perseverance have brought you to this achievement.

This is the last newsletter of the quarter, and we hope to see you next quarter refreshed, recharged, and ready for what’s ahead.

PLUGS Logo Contest

Underground Scholars is having a PLUGS logo design contest for FISI students. The Peer Leaders for Underground Scholars (PLUGS) program is in its first year, and we are seeking our community's help to develop a logo!

Each FISI student who submits a PLUGS logo design will get a $30 gift card, and PLUGS will use the winner's logo!

Details:
Deadline: April 17, 2026
How to submit: Come by the USP (Underground Scholars Program) office in Room 1002 of the Student Success II building to print your design out. Leave it on the whiteboard and email PLUGS Mentor Marissa Corr at corrm@uci.edu with a digital copy of your design. 

Find more information about PLUGS here: https://www.undergroundscholars.uci.edu/10647-2/

Email PLUGS Mentor Marissa at corrm@uci with any questions

USP Monthly Family Dinner & Game Night

Underground Scholars Monthly Family Dinner and Game Night

PLUGS will be organizing a monthly dinner and game night for FISI scholars and our families. The goal is to create a relaxed space where scholars and their loved ones can connect, build community, and enjoy time together outside of regular program activities. 

We’re currently trying to determine the best day and time that works for the most people who are interested in attending. If you would like to participate, please take a moment to complete the availability survey below. Your responses will help us schedule the event at a time that works for as many families as possible.

Peer Leaders for Underground Scholars Mentorship Program

As we wrap up the quarter, we understand that finals can be overwhelming and stressful. That’s why PLUGS mentors are here to support you. If you need someone to talk to or would like academic advice, feel free to visit a PLUGS Mentor at your convenience during Week 10.

Please note that PLUGS mentors will not be available during finals week, but they will return and be available again next quarter.

Reminder: Complete the Mandatory 2026 GFH Housing Intention Assessment

Attention Underground Scholars!

If you are a student residing in Graduate and Family Housing and plan on continuing as a student for the 2026-2027 academic school year, this is a reminder to complete the mandatory 2026 GFH Housing Intention Assessment.
Please submit your assessment by March 11, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Your responses are required to prepare housing agreement renewals and summer extension offers for 2026–2027. If the assessment is not completed by the deadline, your current housing agreement will end on June 30, 2026, without renewal or extension.

Make sure to follow the next steps:

Log in with your UCI Net ID at https://my.housing.uci.edu/gateway/ and indicate your housing plans for 2026–2027. You may update your responses anytime before the deadline, but the assessment must be completed in full each time you make changes.

Reminder: All responses will be final after 11:59 PM on March 11, 2026

Western Region Reentry Summit

Call for Proposals Now Open – 2026 Western Region Reentry Summit

The Call for Proposals is now open for the 2026 Western Region Reentry Summit, happening October 14–16, 2026, in Reno, Nevada.

This solution-focused summit brings together returning citizens, service providers, policymakers, employers, researchers, and community advocates to share ideas and advance opportunities for people returning from incarceration.

We invite session proposals highlighting practical solutions and emerging practices in areas such as housing, fair-chance employment, mental health and recovery, policy reform, peer support, system collaboration, and trauma-informed programming.

Proposal deadline: April 1, 2026 (11:59 PM ET)
Presenter notifications: May 15, 2026

Help us amplify diverse voices and create pathways for opportunity and transformation across the region. If you know someone who should present, please share this opportunity.

Visit www.ReentrySummitWest.com to view the full call and submit a proposal.
Questions: reentrysummitwest@gmail.com.
For more information, please check the flyer below.