UAAMP is the Urban African American Mentor Program. The program connects a faculty member, staff member and student to help the student succeed. The program began in 2006 after realizing that less and less students were graduating. Realizing this, a group of faculty and staff set out to find the problem and solve it. In a research project, they found that students lacked a connection to faculty and staff they needed.
“We thought it would be a good idea to connect [students] with a faculty member and a staff member so they would have resources from both sides of Sinclair to help them be able to reach their dreams of what they wanted to be able to do,” program coordinator Linda Pastore-Gaal said.
While the program is determined to help students in need, it supports those who want to help themselves. The program is selective and recruits students. Students interested must have at least a 2.0 GPA, have completed at least six credit hours and are at least in their second semester. There is also an application and interview process. In this process, coordinators such as Pastore-Gaal make sure the student is serious and committed to the program.
“It’s a commitment that you’re willing to work with a mentor team and that you’re willing to learn more and be more interactive and connected with Sinclair,” Pastore-Gaal said.
While the application process can be intimidating, it is in the student’s best interest. The program is there to help the student achieve their goals. Coordinator Dona Fletcher notes that students generally have an idea of the things holding them back or things they want to improve.
“The students actually determine what they need help with and that’s what we seek to provide through the mentors,” Fletcher said.
Faculty and staff members also have an application process to explain why they want to be involved. Faculty and staff are also asked to be fully committed. Faculty, staff and students are put together based on similarities. For example, a chemistry major would be put with a chemistry staff member. This is all in an attempt to build deeper connections that will help advance the student and help them reach their goals.
“I think a lot of people who join to be mentors view it as an opportunity to give back because somewhere along their journey, someone has mentored them,” Coordinator Kelly Smith said.
Once mentor teams are together, they meet every week face-to-face. This is a requirement in the program to build those relationships. “It’s all about getting to know each other and connecting because every single group is different,” Pastore-Gaal said.
In the end, the goal is simple. Graduation. The program is in place to get students a degree or certificate so they can enter the workforce or transfer to another institution. UAAMP gets involved as early as possible and follow them to the end.
“We’re at the finish line cheering with them,” Smith said.
In addition to working on the student’s academic life, the program also requires students do something for the community. This is done through a yearly service project. Fletcher, who added the service learning to UAAMP. As a group, UAAMP chooses a community service to do together in the spring.
“To me, it is very important that students are connected to the communities they are from,” Fletcher said.
Last year, the students participated in making “Blessing Bags” and Smith says the turnout was amazing. The “Blessing Bags” contained toiletries and other essential products for those in need. Together, UAAMP created 250 “Blessing Bags” that were then distributed to several nonprofit organizations.
These service projects are meant to help the students as well as the community. Everything in the program is for its students.
“For us, it’s all about the student,” Pastore-Gaal said.
Celia Lavoie
Reporter