"In 2012, VCU African American Alumni Council (AAAC) members Gail Coles Johnson and Jeffrey O. Roberts sought to explore a vision to create an intergenerational, virtual program for the AAAC to support its missions of promoting and contributing to the recruitment and retention of Black students at VCU. In 2015, the VCU Office of Alumni Relations worked with the alumni volunteers to create the mentoring circle, designed to provide students with the opportunity to seek guidance and support from alumni who look like them and have relatable shared experiences.
Initiated, sponsored, and supported by AAAC members, the mentoring circle provides a platform to connect Black undergraduate students with alumni who are interested in helping Black students gain the skills needed to enter today’s workforce and provide them with an opportunity to learn from a VCU graduate. The mentoring circle's goal is to pair an alumni mentor with every Black VCU student who expresses a desire to participate in the program.
Since the inception of the program, nearly 600 Black students have been paired with alumni mentors. Program participants have provided an estimated more than 10,000 volunteer hours to the program since 2015, including 30 alumni serving on various leadership committees."
From the Judges
We noted the significant growth in the program and high graduation rate of participants. This application showed creativity and fiduciary responsibility by enlisting the support of AmeriCorps/VISTA members. The program also seemed replicable at other institutions seeking similar outcomes.
