VGCC Seeks Mentoring for African-American Male Students from Area Ministers/Churche

African-American males make up the smallest segment of the Vance-Granville Community College student population, and since the fall of 2000 this segment has declined by approximately 20 percent.

In an effort to reverse this trend, the college hosted a breakfast on June 23 to create an interest among African-American ministers and their churches in the area to become involved in a mentoring program for black male students.

VGCC President Randy Parker made a presentation that shows that a disproportionate percentage of African-American males are suspended from public schools each year. Also, he showed studies that 40 percent of African-American males in the United States are functionally illiterate and a large percentage of them are in the prison system.

To counter that trend in this area, Vance-Granville Community College has set a goal of identifying and implementing strategies to recruit and retain African-American male students to VGCC educational and training programs.

As a testimony to what Vance-Granville can do for wayward African-American students, Edward Seward spoke to the audience of his experiences. Seward is a Pre-Human Services Technology student at the college who came to the program after going “down the wrong road.”

Seward said he earned his GED while incarcerated and took the placement test at VGCC 1½ years ago and has made all A’s at the college. “I found people at Vance-Granville who want you to be somebody and who want to help you,” he said. “I appreciate the second chance I got, and the sky’s the limit now.”

Black males feel a barrier between themselves and society, Seward said. “We have to step up to the plate, face responsibility and work hard,” he said.

Parker said, “Edward Seward is an example of why we love what we do at Vance-Granville Community College.”

Daniel Alvarado, director of counseling at VGCC, gave an overview of the African-American male mentoring program initiative the college is trying to begin. This program will establish a supportive one-on-one relationship to give black males opportunities to explore aspirations, improve academic achievement, behavior and self-esteem, he said.

It will take quality mentors with a commitment to their relationships to make the program work, Alvarado said.

About a dozen area African-American churches were represented at the meeting. Their representatives talked about strategies that can be utilized to help make the program a success.

Parker and Alvarado urged persons and organizations who have questions about the program and who wish to be involved in it to contact Vance-Granville Community College Student Affairs at (252) 738-3234.

TESTIMONIAL – Edward Seward addresses a breakfast held at Vance-Granville Community College June 23 to inform area African-American churches about a college program to provide tutoring for black male students at the college. Seward told the assembly how the college has helped him turn his life around after he had traveled down the wrong road in life. VGCC President Randy Parker, right, listens attentively to Seward’s testimony. (VGCC Photo)

TUTORING BREAKFAST – Vance-Granville Community College student Joyce Long, Dr. Richard Henderson of Townsville and Rev. John M. McKinnon, pastor of Guiding Star UHC in Drewry, left to right, talk prior to a breakfast June 23 at the college to introduce area African-American churches to a tutoring program planned by the college to get and retain black male students. (VGCC Photo)