Providing mentorship for the next generation
Student Success Programs gives students a chance to help their peers, high school students
By Kyle Hobstetter on March 7, 2023
Sometimes the best way to learn about college is by talking to those who are experiencing it themselves.
Peer mentoring is one of the building blocks of higher education, and Towson University Student Success Programs (SSP) provides unique opportunities for Tigers, on- and off-campus.
“It is important for students to work with their peers, learn how to develop leadership, collaboration, teamwork skills,” says Aaron Saunders, SSP’s coordinator for outreach and retention. “Students who work with our programs also build their own communities on campus, network and make friends that will last a lifetime.”
The Students Achieve Goals through Education (SAGE) program assigns participants peer mentors and offers activities to improve academic and life skills and an on-campus residential learning community.
TU students can also connect with the next generation through the College Readiness Outreach Program (CROP). CROP connects ninth graders from Baltimore City public high schools with TU student mentors for a series of college readiness workshops and individual or group sessions to share their experiences, encourage academic persistence and help students rethink what success means for them.
Many TU students who serve as mentors in SAGE and CROP experienced these programs, or similar ones, as mentees.
“When I ask students why they come back as mentors, the consistent response is that it is a way to give back to something that helped them become the students they are now at TU,” says Alexia Crawley, coordinator for SAGE.
Meet three student mentors, and learn what CROP and SAGE mean to them.
Latavia Edwards — CROP Mentor
Latavia Edwards ’24 always had a passion for medicine. That’s why the Chesapeake, Virginia, native picked TU’s physician assistant program.
Edwards has worked as a sports medicine aide with the TU football team, volunteered with TU’s Sexual Health Awareness Peer Educator group and is the founder and president of the TU Students for Public Health student group.
But one of her favorite experiences has been helping local high school students learn more about Towson University and college in general.
“Programs like CROP are so vital because the guidance these students receive is so necessary,” Edwards says. “Having a mentor program where someone can guide you—even better someone that looks like you—is so important.”
Tramell Anderson — SAGE Mentor
Tramell Anderson ’23 is a first-generation college student and will graduate this spring with dual degrees in criminal justice and communication studies.
She credits the SAGE program for all it has done for her.
“SAGE has encouraged me to go after opportunities I may not have come across myself,” Anderson says. “I've been able to grow a lot, and the amazing people behind SAGE have contributed to that.”
After being a mentee, Anderson jumped at the chance to be a mentor and student leader.
“SAGE impacted me so much my first year, I knew I wanted to help the community and program grow,” Anderson says. “I also wanted to give that experience I was so fortunate to have to someone else, because mentors are the backbone of what SAGE is.”
Delina Afewerki — CROP & SAGE Mentor
Delina Afewerki ’25, a political science major and human rights and history minor, lived in the same house her entire life, 40 minutes from campus. SAGE gave her the community she was looking for while she adjusted to college.
After her first year in the program, Afewerki became a mentor during her sophomore year. She is also a CROP mentor.
“On a college campus, especially one that’s as big as TU, it’s really hard to find [your own] space,” she says. “But being a mentor, you'll have a space where you're going to find at least one friend and have an amazing relationship.”
Student Success Programs
Join Student Success Programs for Mentor Week!
Are you interested in joining one of the SSP’s mentoring programs in the fall 2023 term? Mentor Week features four interest sessions that explain how to become a mentor.
- Wednesday, March 8, at 1 p.m., University Union, room 349
- Wednesday, March 8, at 5 p.m., University Union, room 343
- Thursday, March 9, at 1 p.m., University Union, room 349
- Thursday, March 9, at 5 p.m., University Union, room 343
Students can meet with current SAGE and CROP mentors as part of a karaoke night on Wednesday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. inside the Unity Lounge (University Union room 343). There will also be a movie day, on Friday, March 10, at 1 p.m. inside the Unity Lounge.