New freshman mentorship program enlists the help of faculty and staff

"As a mentor, you want to serve as a steady anchor," Assistant Dean Dr. Paige Franklin, '91 & G-'95, explained to approximately 50 faculty and staff at a lunch at the end of August, kicking off a new program aimed at guiding the new cohort of first-year undergraduates.

Provost Dr. Khadijat K. Rashid, '90, appreciates that so many Gallaudet faculty and staff have signed up to participate in this effort, which she hopes will ease students' transition to college life. This is a program she has been planning for the past year after reading widely about what inspires students to stay in college, particularly for underrepresented students.

"Our students often do not have Deaf adults around them while growing up, so I thought it would be good to pair them up with Deaf or signing faculty and staff to expose them to what is possible and to provide them with a safe space where they can go for life advice and to ask questions," Rashid explains.

Mentorship opportunities are rewarding for faculty and staff too, says Dr. Helen Thumann, Director of the School of Language, Education, and Culture, who recalled one of the first times she served as a mentor at Gallaudet. Her sister-in-law Kathryn (Kitty) Baldridge was the basketball coach, and Thumann agreed to mentor a few players. "That year the team was on campus during Thanksgiving break for a tournament, and we had Thanksgiving together - that was such an enjoyable and valuable experience," she says. "Students felt they had someone to connect with and who could serve as a resource so they were more comfortable here."

At the orientation lunch for mentors, Franklin reviewed practical details. Each mentor will work with one or a small group of students, which will be put together by the Provost's office. Communication and meetings on a roughly weekly basis are encouraged, but if a student chooses not to participate, mentors are not to push them, as it is a voluntary program.

Franklin also described the similarities and differences between advising and mentoring: In both situations, the goal is for a student to feel comfortable asking questions. But with mentoring, there's a more casual vibe, and mentors are encouraged to draw on their lived experience to make connections with their mentees, while also highlighting the many resources available on campus. From exposure to clubs and events to an introduction to a specific person or GU tradition, "their success as a human being" is paramount here, Franklin remarked.

In Thumann's experience, new students often struggle with a lack of confidence "Some students do not want to make presentations in front of class. Some are working on their ability to socialize and build relationships," says Thumann, who notes that the pandemic and the isolation mainstreamed deaf students experience in high school have exacerbated this in recent years. "That's why we try to support them as they build that confidence. That's why I chose to be a part of this program."

Rashid believes that bringing people together can really make a difference. "I hope our mentors will provide a safe space where students feel free to be themselves and to grow into who they want to be. I hope that students, through their interaction with their mentors, come to believe that they belong at Gallaudet, just as much as anyone else does," she says. "And I hope that this will increase their persistence and graduation rates!"

If you are a faculty or staff member who would like to serve as a mentor, it's not too late! Please email [email protected] as soon as possible to get involved.