VGCC receives funding for Male Mentoring
Vance-Granville Community College is one of 41 North Carolina community colleges that recently received state funds to continue a program geared toward creating success among minority male students. In the 2010-11 state budget, Minority Male Mentoring Programs at N.C. Community Colleges received $900,000 in recurring funding, which was paired with a $407,000 College Access Challenge Grant to expand or launch college efforts that promote the development of personal, professional and academic growth among minority males. Each college received a grant of $25,000. The mentoring programs seek to increase graduation and retention rates among minority males in community colleges and other institutions of higher learning.
“The male mentoring program has been a valuable resource for Vance-Granville students,” President Randy Parker said. “Many of our young men need a support system to help them adjust to college, and this program gets these men off to a good start toward academic and career success. We appreciate the fact that our state legislators and our state community college system officials recognize the importance of this initiative.”
The VGCC Male Mentoring Program, also called M2P, is designed to assist first-year male students in acquiring the confidence, resources and skills needed to succeed academically and socially at the college. The program is open to any male student who attends VGCC, but the emphasis is on minority males in particular. Participating students support one another and are paired with mentors who advise, direct and counsel the student to develop his own abilities, set goals and progress toward those goals. Students also hear from guest speakers and take part in extracurricular activities promoting leadership and community service.
For more information on the male mentoring program at VGCC, contact Director of Counseling Daniel Alvarado at (252) 738-3282.
Above: VGCC mentoring program student participants at the program’s first meeting for the 2010-11 academic year (Sept. 9) included, seated from left, Lynwood Roberts of Oxford, Eric Jones of Henderson, Dwayne Green of Henderson, Quinten Taborn of Oxford and Ashonti Watkins of Henderson; standing, from left, the program’s advisors, VGCC Assistant Director of Financial Aid Brian Clemmons, counselor Seletha Pherribo-Bumphus and Director of Counseling Daniel Alvarado. (VGCC photo)
