CMA's LINKS Program     

 

 

The CMA began its fall semester with a record number of first-year students participating in our LINKS program. The LINKS program, which stands for Linking Individuals to Networks, Knowledge, and Scholarship, is a voluntary mentoring and retention program for first-year students of color to assist them in developing a support system to succeed in their first year at BSC and beyond.  The students are paired with upper-class student mentors that meet and exceed a minimum GPA requirement and that have proven to possess the skills needed to successful balance multiple commitments, including academics, volunteering, athletics, and other co-curricular activities. 

 

View a slideshow of our fall events:

 

Our Fall Semester Activities

This year's LINKS program began with our mentor training and orientation, which was held on Saturday, September 12th.  Mr. Jimmy Owens, a long-time mentor and educator from the New Bedford area, lead the mentors in team-building exercises, ice-breakers, and group discussions about what being a mentor meant and the important role that mentors play to their mentees.  The training session   

 

On Saturday, September 26th, we held our 2nd annual LINKS Induction Ceremony & Welcome Breakfast.  The first-year LINKS students and their families were welcomed into the BSC community at an exclusive breakfast, attended by mentors, faculty, and staff, including President Mohler-Faria and Vice-President of Student Affairs, Dr. Ostroth.  Both President Mohler-Faria and Vice-President Ostroth talked about the importance of mentors and mentoring others, how programs like the LINKS program further the mission of the college, and the wide range of opportunities that the world offers BSC graduates. 

 

The momentum of the LINKS program, set by the Mentor Orientation and the Induction Ceremony & Welcome Breakfast, has continued through the fall semester with numerous exciting opportunities for the program's participants.  Most recently, participants in the program visited the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA for our annual retreat.  LINKS participants toured various culturally focused exhibits, including one that examined the growth of the City of Brockton's shoe industry and its impact on culture, gender, poverty, etc., through artwork made from and based on shoes!  After returning from the museum, we feasted on Cape Verdean Rice and Chicken made by one of our mentor's grandfather and got to know each other better through teamwork activities.

 

On October 21st, LINKS and mentors welcomed Mr. Eric Pope, a New Bedford native and a member of the Plan USA non-profit organization as our LINKS program motivational speaker for this year.  Mr. Pope spoke to the group about his recent experiences traveling to Africa and working with children in need.  Additionally, he discussed how his trip changed his perspective on his role as a global citizen and how, as a result of his trip, he left his hometown to join the Plan USA organization, based in Washington D.C., and worked to provide a better world for children now and in the long-term future. 

 

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Last Modified: January 15, 2010

 

 

Click here for a brochure with additional information about the LINKS program.

 

 

Our Fall Semester Events

 

 

For LINKS first-year students

For first-year students interested in joining the LINKS program as a mentee, click here for a copy of the LINKS application.

 

 

For LINKS mentors

For upper-class students interested in joining the LINKS program as a mentor, click here for a copy of the mentor application for the 2009-2010 academic year and here for the mentor contract form.