NIU’s Dr. LaVerne Gyant Mentoring Program launched in the fall of 2021 to pair students in the College of Education with Black/African American alumni toward fostering success in school and life.
Four years later, the initiative continues to create safe and supportive spaces that nurture positive relationships, social competence and self-esteem in the participants.
The goal is to develop Dr. G Scholars (mentees) and Fellows (mentors) as more independent learners and professionals who advocate for themselves, flourish in their careers, advance their fields, grow their communities and seek out assistance and resources as needed.
Eric Junco, the college’s director of Academic Cultivation and Engagement, and Lauren Lett, Alumni and Advancement coordinator, are proud to carry on the work started by Kelly Wesener Michael, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Higher Education where Gyant taught.
“We’re honoring the legacy of Dr. Laverne Gyant, who’s been transformative in our community for people of color,” Junco says of the retired professor and former director of the NIU Center for Black Studies.
“At the core of the program, it connects students with alumni who’ve walked similar paths and who genuinely want to pour back into the next generation,” he says. “We do focus on mentorship, but we also encourage our community to succeed through storytelling and engaging events. When students join us, they learn they have people in their corner who believes in their dreams.”
Such things “help build not only a sense of belonging but also help students map their futures and form resiliency,” he adds, “and when students have mentors and community, we know that they do better, they perform better, and they have lifelong connections afterward.”
Gyant served as a mentor for many of the Fellows during their time at NIU, Lett says, and now they feel driven “to keep her legacy flourishing because they know how it impactful it was for them.”
Consequently, she says, the Dr. G Scholars “see alumni as a ‘possibility model.’ ”
“I think it empowers them to see someone who looks like them and who potentially gone through the barriers that they might face in their future – and then to just be part of a community,” Lett says. “We want to make sure that students feel like they have a place at NIU. We’re making sure that their voices are heard.”
Junco agrees.
“Our students want guidance. They want representation. They want somebody championing their success,” he says. “They know that they’re getting affirmation in this space, and they’re also getting ideas for how they can navigate the world after NIU.”
Mentors and mentees meet at a Match Night event at the start of the semester to “get to know each other” and learn how well their answers on a pairing form align their interests, passions and career trajectories.
During Mentor Spotlight Night, Junco says, “the mentors essentially get to tell these narratives of, ‘Here’s how I began college. These are some of the reservations or the insecurities or fears that I once had. These are some of the obstacles that I’ve overcome. Here are some of my recommendations to you as you make your way.’ ”
Other organized activities include celebrations of Black joy, holiday recharges, conversations on setting boundaries and talk circles “where we can simply sit together and talk about the state of the United States right now and our role in empowering each other.”
Pairs also schedule personal interactions such as meeting for coffee, attending plays or going to other fun happenings, all of which provide opportunities to chat about ambitions, challenges and victories.
“Going through college and having someone to be the cheerleader in your corner, able to help guide you through positive things, or any issues you may encounter to uplift you, is always needed,” Lett says. “It makes your experience in college more memorable, and I hope they’ll continue those relationships post-graduation.”
- Interested in learning more or getting involved? Visit https://www.cedu.niu.edu/student-success/programs/gyant-mentoring-program.shtml.
