It was with great honor that DBAC’s Vice President and PR Manager, Raihanah Siddiq and Tianna Williams, were able to serve as mentors to 30 incoming Drexel Freshmen through the Empowerment Retreat program last weekend. The retreat was born from a collaborative effort of different faculty members across the university. The committee consisted of Fatimah Conteh from DragonsTeach, Tasha Gardner from the Center for Learning and Academic Success Services (CLASS), Bernetta Millonde from Diversity Initiatives & Community Relations, and Ileana Santos-Gonzalez from Freshman Admissions. Their mission was to give new students of color a leg up in their academic career by providing them with peer mentors and meetings with faculty members to inform them of the resources and possible experiences available to them on campus.
“I really like giving back to the students,” said Raihanah. “We need to continue to make a difference for students of color at Drexel.” The faculty committee and other student mentors at the retreat shared the same sentiment, but they weren’t the other ones. Faculty members from across the university participated in the retreat to share with the new Freshman their college experiences, successes and failures. The retreat guest list included Clayton Bailey and Myles Lawhorn from the Financial Aid Office and the Bursar’s Office, Provost Brian Blake, Members of Campus Engagement and the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (SCDI), as well as Brian Ellis and Marisol Rodriguez-Mergenthal from BRIDGE and LSAMP respectively. The students were encouraged to learn about each guest and their programs for future use in their academic and professional careers. In addition to the wonderful connections students were able to make over the weekend, the retreat also allowed students to move in early. The resident halls were open for retreat students to move into Thursday afternoon, giving them the rest of the weekend to get used to dorm living and getting affiliated to Drexel’s Campus. The peer mentors, who were present from morning to night, were available to the student for campus knowledge and advice. Mentors were even able to take the students on a tour around campus so the students could learn the location of more than just the academic buildings. “We did a lot in one weekend,” commented Tianna. “I’m sure it was a lot for the students to take in, but they’ll definitely be the most prepared on campus. They know where they can get academic and personal help, where to get the best food, and even shop.” Even more importantly, and the main reason for the retreat, the students now know that they have a community on campus among themselves and everyone else they meet over the weekend.
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DBAC DISPATCHCulture - Activism - Community Service Archives
March 2019
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