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College mentors give hand to Prichard high schoolers UM students help younger kids prepare for future Photos by VICTOR CALHOUN, Press-Register Staff Photographer
Blount High School student Tiffani Grant, left, gets help with her Spanish homework from her mentor, University of Mobile student Maria Camila Mendoza.
University of Mobile students help high school students from Prichard with their homework and other topics. Blount High School student Qualandria McCoy, left, gets instruction on math from Brooke Gonun and Jessica Pike.
Vigor High School student Donald Craig, left, gets advice from mentor Sherman Howze on applying to college. By RENEÉ BUSBY Press-Register Staff Reporter (Courtesy of the Press-Register 2009© All rights reserved. A small group of University of Mobile students gathered recently for a study session, but they didn't learn much. Instead, they were teaching - helping high schoolers from Prichard with geometry and physics, then extending the lessons into areas such as self-esteem, the importance of education and the responsibility of community leadership. "We're trying to be a catalyst to get them to remain here and give back to their community," said Claude Bumpers, project director of the University of Mobile's RamKids program. Federally funded, it is in its second year at the 1,641-student school. A study undertaken by Child Trends, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center in Washington, D.C., found that mentored youth typically perform better academically because they have better attendance records and better attitudes toward school. Other area colleges have also seen benefits from pairing their students with younger people. Spring Hill College students spent this semester helping Vigor High School seniors improve their ACT admission test scores through the ACT Prep Program. "The results were really positive," said Angela Travis, Vigor's senior guidance counselor. "None of the scores went down." Travis said that Spring Hill approached Vigor about the first-year program, which was financed through a grant. When Travis asked if any seniors were interested, 40 responded. Spring Hill tutors provided tips on how to study, while the test-takers received ACT prep books. Afterward, T'Keyan Peoples, a 17-year-old Vigor senior, boosted her score 2 points when she took the ACT a second time. "It felt a little more comfortable because I had a better understanding," said Peoples, who has been accepted to six colleges. Travis said the relationship between the college and the high school went beyond tutoring. She said the participants bonded and formed friendships. "They couldn't wait for the kids from Spring Hill to come each week," Travis said. "Vigor has been a very good fit for us," said Kathleen Orange, director of Spring Hill's Foley Center, a community service group at the 1,528-student Mobile school. "They were enthusiastic." At the University of South Alabama, mentoring programs have opened eyes on both sides. For example, USA's College of Education and the community organization 100 Black Men co-sponsored a summer enrichment program to get kids interested in the field of education. "Some of them had life-changing experiences, and hopefully we convinced the high school students to go into education," said Andrþ Green, an assistant professor of education at USA. Green said his education majors also benefited from the opportunity to be around school-age children. UM's RamKids, in its second year, is likewise having an impact. "My grades have improved," said Qualandria McCoy, a junior at Blount High School, as she worked with her tutor. University of Mobile sophomore Sherman Howze is all too aware of the difficulties of transitioning from school to college. "I never had a chance to get a mentor," said Howze, who grew up in Prichard and attended Vigor. He decided to join RamKids, he said, "because I know how hard it is."
Last modified :
Monday, January 5, 2009 9:57 PM
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