As it nears the end of its first year, ASU’s President Barack Obama Scholars Program is currently looking for upperclassmen to act as mentors for incoming freshmen next fall.
The program includes more than 1,800 students and is designed to increase student success and retention through mentorship, said Amy Golden Greenland, program coordinator and director in the Dean of Students Office.
The Obama Scholars Program combines financial aid from federal, state and University awards to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board for incoming freshmen Arizona residents from families with an annual income of $60,000 or less.
The award is renewable for four consecutive years, and totals about $17,000 per student, per year.
Students accepted to the program are required to participate in the mentorship program as part of a first-year academic success plan, Golden Greenland said.
“Research and studies show that the first year is critical towards retention and success for graduation,” she said. “That’s why our initial focus is on that one-on-one relationship between mentor and student.”
This year, the mentors are evenly divided between students and faculty and staff members, Golden Greenland said.
Both groups provide a unique relationship that benefits the freshmen, she said.
“Student mentors are obviously able to connect on that student experience,” Golden Greenland said. “At the same time, having the years of experience that staff can share, that’s beyond what students have.”
Student mentor applicants are required to have upperclassman standing, maintain a 3.25 GPA and be enrolled at ASU for the full academic year.
Each mentor will maintain regular contact with one Obama Scholar, including a once a month, in-person meeting to address any concerns the freshman may have, Golden Greenland said.
Psychology freshman and current Obama Scholar Raynetta Brown said she has benefited from her participation in the program as a whole, but particularly from the mentorship.
“I really like having [a mentor],” Brown said. “It’s helpful because it’s kind of scary and frustrating [transitioning to college]. I didn’t know what to do, or how to get around, and he really helped me with that.”
This is exactly the type of guidance the program is supposed to offer, Golden Greenland said.
“The goal is to get students connecting with campus so the transition from high school can be successful and positive,” she said.
School of Life Sciences professor Willem Vermaas, who acted as a mentor for three students this semester, said he encourages his students to become mentors.
“I think it’s a great idea to have students as mentors. Right now, the way it worked, there wasn’t a lot of coordination in terms of the students that I mentor,” he said. “I have students that are in fields that I don’t even know anything about, whereas, if you have students who are in the same program, it is very direct … in terms of their own experiences that they can convey.”
Despite the inability to give advice on which courses to take or help with schoolwork-related questions, Vermaas said his general advice was still helpful for the students.
“This is the first year of Obama Scholars,” he said. “It’s a learning experience.”
Golden Greenland stressed that the main point is to get students involved on campus, not to provide the freshmen with academic guidance.
“The idea is to provide the students with a contact that can point them in the right direction for any questions they may have,” she said. “We don’t expect the mentors to be experts on everything, we just expect them to know their way around ASU and guide the freshmen.”
Brown said that her faculty mentor was great, but said having a student mentor could be just as helpful, in a different way.
“It would seem more like a friend, but someone to still look up to who has been through the same process as you,” Brown said. “This program is basically funding my college education and I’m just thankful to have it.”
Reach the reporter at keshoult@asu.edu
