By Uncle Ruckus
We stand at the dawn of Black History Month to not only celebrate Black excellence at Mt.A, but also Black progression.
Now, real quick… think back to your first days here and be honest. Did you feel lost? Like everyone else got a handbook you never received? Did the campus feel kind of… foreign? Did you ever wish someone could just tap you on the shoulder and say, “Yo, I got you. Here’s how this place works?” Because same. And if you’ve felt even a little bit of that, then this article is for you. Ladies, gents, and all else in between, cue the drums please, it’s my pleasure to introduce: The Black Mentorship Program, officially touching down at Mt.A. And I know what you’re thinking. “Okay… Black Mentorship Program… I can guess what that is.” True. But humour me. Because what it actually looks like is the part that matters. Basically, it’s this: upper-year Black students helping newer students figure things out, not in a stiff, “hello mentee, let us network” type of way, but in the way an older sibling would. The kind of help that says, “Here’s what I wish someone told me in first year.” Like how to not get swallowed by your syllabus, how to survive midterms without spiraling, where to go when you’re struggling in a class, and how to move through uni when you’re balancing school and the extra layer of being Black in a space that isn’t always built with you in mind.
And the best part is, it’s not just a one-and-done situation, rather it is a chain. Someone who has been there, done that helps you become someone who has ‘been there, done that,’ so you can turn around and help the next person. That’s how it lasts. That’s how it becomes a real thing on campus, not just a cute idea. Because let’s be real: Black students aren’t all the same. We come from different places, different cultures, different majors, different situations, and we don’t all need the same kind of support. Some people want academic help. Some people want career help, like internships, networking, panels, someone to break down what “professional development” even means without making it sound like a LinkedIn post. Some people want a space where talking about identity doesn’t feel like you’re teaching a class or defending your existence. And honestly, a lot of people just want community… a space with people who get it. So how do you join?Search Black Mentorship Program on the University website… You fill out a quick application form and sign up as either a mentor or a mentee. If you’re a first-year student, you’ll usually come in as a mentee. If you’re an upper-year student, you can be a mentor. And matching won’t be random, it will be based on what you’re looking for, your goals, your program, your interests, because there is no point in pairing people who have nothing in common and calling it a mentorship. Mentors also get some training, so they know how to communicate, how to be culturally aware, and how to show up properly for someone.
And yes! It’s launching at the beginning of Black History Month. Which feels right, because Black History Month isn’t only about looking back and posting the same three quotes on Instagram. It’s also about building something that helps the next person coming after you. Something practical. Something real. Like a bridge. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of shared challenges. Like a way forward. So if you’re reading this and thinking, “Wow… I could’ve used that,” then you already get it.
Join. Mentor. Tell your friends. Tell the first-year who looks confused in Wallace McCain. Let’s make sure the next Black student’s first day at Mt.A feels less like drifting in unfamiliar winds and more like stepping onto solid ground.
– Written By Someone Who was Once a first-year.