From the Nominator

"In 2012, two VCU African American Alumni Council members sought to create an intergenerational program for the AAAC to support its missions of promoting and contributing to the recruitment and retention of African American students at VCU. In partnership with the VCU Office of Alumni Relations, the AAAC created the Mentoring Circle to provide students with the opportunity to seek guidance and support from alumni who look like them and who have relatable shared experiences.  

The Mentoring Circle provides a platform to connect African‐American undergraduate students with alumni who are interested in helping African American 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 African American student who expresses a desire to participate in the program.   

Since the inception of the program, nearly 800 African American students have been paired with an alumni mentor. In summary, the Mentoring Circle supports Black VCU students and the university’s strategic plan, while satisfying our alumni’s desire to stay connected to VCU. Very few alumni volunteer programs can check as many boxes as the Mentoring Circle. The program is set up to ensure long-term success through a defined committee structure, leadership roles and a strong commitment from the VCU Office of Alumni Relations. It also serves as a model for others seeking to establish mentoring programs."

From the Judges

We felt this was an impact-based initiative that not only provided meaningful engagement for volunteers involved but was LED by volunteers themselves. The supporting materials were creative, thorough and could easily be used to replicate VCU's success. The data presented that demonstrated the success of this initiative in graduation rates is what truly makes this initiative award-worthy.