about

Grad School Femtoring

Grad School Femtoring, LLC, founded by Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu, empowers first-gen students of color with support, skills, and tools to help them prepare for grad school and beyond. 

our mission

on A Mission to Empower First-Gen BIPOCs in the pursuit of higher education

The mission of GSF is to demystify higher education and empower first-generation BIPOC folks to reach their academic and personal goals all while leading in a compassionate and social justice informed way.

this community is for you if you are...

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meet the founder

Dra. Yvette

Hola! I’m Dra. Yvette Martínez-Vu, a first-gen, disabled, Chicana academic coach, author, and speaker. My higher education femtoring journey started in graduate school when I landed my first job as a grad student mentor at the UCLA Undergraduate Research Center. It was through femtoring Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows that I uncovered my strong desire to pursue a career where I could use my strengths to be in service of others. 

More about me and my work: Motherhood and motherwork is a core part of my identity and one lens through which I compassionately support others. In 2014, I co-founded the Chicana M(other)work Collective, a project informed by the gendered, classes, and racialized experiences of mothers of color in academia. This project has turned into a podcast, blog, and bestselling book, The Chicana M(other)work Anthology, published by the University of Arizona Press in 2019. 

Before graduating with my PhD in 2016, I learned that I did not want to become a professor and instead wanted to dedicate my time to more service-oriented positions. I earned my PhD in 2016 and secured a job as a scholarship advisor at the UCLA Undergraduate Research Center, where I helped students apply for and win national and international merit scholarships. In 2017, I transitioned into the role of Assistant Director for the UCSB McNair Scholars Program where I was promoted to Associate Director and ran the daily operations of the program, until I left in 2021 to start my own coaching business.

I now specialize in supporting first-generation BIPOCs who plan to or are navigating grad school by teaching them concrete writing, planning, and organizing skills and offering compassionate and confidence-boosting support.  I empower my femtees in reaching their academic and personal goals, no matter how big or wild those dreams are!

fun facts

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Introvert

I’m introverted and yet grew up doing theater, acting and stage managing, most of my childhood

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Mom

I’m a mom raising two mixed race children of Mexican and Vietnamese heritage

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Compassionate

I’m neurodivergent and chronically ill, which helps me be more compassionate with myself and others

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Virgo

I’m a virgo, recovering perfectionist, and people often say I’m the most organized person they know

achievements

Did you know that I have a PhD in Theater and Performance Studies?
Or that I'm a former Mellon Mays Fellow, UC Cota Robles Fellow, and Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellow?

My other academic and career highlights include:

-co-authoring the forthcoming book, Is Grad School for Me?: Demystifying the Application Process for First-Gen BIPOC Students, with University of California Press (2024)

-co-editing the bestselling Chicana M(other)work Anthology with University of Arizona Press (2019)

-assisting 90% of my clients in applying for and getting admitted into top graduate programs and winning national fellowships

-supporting the academic and personal progress of first-gen, low-income, and nontraditional BIPOC students

-designing, implementing, and assessing academic programs, coaching programs, courses, and workshops to facilitate graduate-school preparation and professional development

-managing, hiring, training, and supervising part-time and full-time staff, graduate students, and contract workers

-writing for university grants, including federal grants

-college level and K-12 level teaching and curriculum development

-teaching and public speaking for groups of 20-200+ people

-organizing and participating in 30+ conferences

-receiving 20+ prestigious grants and awards

-and managing budgets of up to $1.8M

Grad School Femtoring
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