Changes come to TU Student Success Programs to kick off the semester
By Kendra Bryant, Contributing Writer
Towson University’s Student Success Programs plans to present a series of new student-led events and activities as part of an effort to revamp the program.
These events will include self-care-focused workshops, alumni mentorship opportunities and culture-based presentations, according to Program Director Tammie King-Kelly.
Sanai Cooper, Towson senior and lead at Students Achieve Goals through Education, expressed excitement for the upcoming changes.
“There’s a different group of mentors, but we’re still planning to stay true to our Caribbean programs, Black History programs,” Cooper said. “This year, we have a whole new team of mentees and mentors.”
Alongside the newly developed programming, Student Success Programs has requested an official name change from the University, King-Kelly said.
“We want to be sure that we stand out,” she said.
She did not share the requested name.
King-Kelly said the University’s overall goal is to guarantee success for its students.
Student Success encompasses five student-led programs.
These include SAGE; College Readiness Outreach Program, in which Towson students mentor ninth graders in Baltimore County and Baltimore City public schools; and Honesty. Encouragement. Respect., a conversational space for women of color.
Other programming includes Man 2 Man, a space for men of color to connect, and Generation One, a group for first-generation students.
Established in 2014, SAGE was the University’s first Success Program created from the vision to build a sense of community beyond the classroom, according to King-Kelly.
SAGE offers peer-to-peer mentorship for all students, especially first-generation, first-year and transfer students.
Senior Mayra Corea, a former SAGE mentor, has been a part of the program since she was a freshman.
“I loved the bond we all shared,” she said. “It truly felt like a family. I also enjoyed my mentor. He taught me a lot and really supported me throughout my first year, so much that I decided to apply to be a SAGE mentor.”
For students pondering whether to join one of the Student Success Programs, current members give a definitive “yes.”
Mahielt Hailu, a SAGE undergraduate assistant, said she believes that joining a program is beneficial for all students.
“Not many other schools have this type of program,” Hailu said. “With us here at Towson, we have a sense of community, a sense of mentorship and overall just a close bond.”
