CLEVELAND — The presidents of both Cleveland State University and Cuyahoga Community College are encouraging their employees to serve as volunteers for College Now Greater Cleveland’s mentoring program.
"I am a university president. I still call my mentors," CSU President Laura Bloomberg insists.
Both Bloomberg and Tri-C President Michael Baston can attest to the power of having a great mentor.
"I was 14 years old. I never knew how to tie a tie, and this mentor tied my tie and it made all the difference in my life," Baston shared. "Mentoring has been such an important part of who I am, and I believe it's important that we all reach out to those who may not necessarily have the background, the support system, the structures, and help them."
Baston and Bloomberg are working to tie more students to mentors through a friendly competition between the two schools.
"We figure we all benefit from students having mentors, mentors who have themselves gone to college and who are committed to staying with a student through college." Bloomberg added.
The institution that recruits the most members of their faculty and staff to participate in the College Now Mentoring Program will receive a pizza party for their newly enlisted mentors, paid for by the losing school.
"Dr. Baston and his team will be buying pizza for the mentors at CSU, I can assure you," Bloomberg said, confidently.
"Laura Bloomberg, I'm coming after you. I'm getting recruiter here, recruiter there, recruit ... everywhere," Baston joked. "Tri-C's on the march."
The school that does not recruit the most mentors will also donate to a charity of the winning institution's choice.
According to College Now Greater Cleveland, 93% of their mentees successfully transition from their first to second year of college. They also have a 70% graduation rate, compared to the national average of 46% for students receiving federal Pell Grant.
"Somebody alongside them, supporting them as they do this work, is a real gift," Bloomberg said. "Not only to the mentee, but always to the mentor, and certainty to the community. It's a really good investment of your time."
The competition between Tri-C and CSU will run through the end of May. Thanks to WKYC Studios' Mentor Monday segments, College Now Greater Cleveland has received 78 applications since April 1 of this year, just shy of the 100-mentor goal.
Click here to learn more on how you can volunteer as a mentor with College Now Greater Cleveland.
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