For freshman students of color at UW-Green Bay, peers who've been there are helping them succeed in college

GREEN BAY - Freshman students of color at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay were less likely to graduate than their white peers in the past, but a new program is building more support for them by connecting them with others who have been in their shoes.

BIPOC R.I.S.E. — Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Reaching Intersectional Strengths through Engagement — got started after the university looked at what specific needs students of color have on the predominantly white campus.

UW-Green Bay’s freshman class has grown more diverse, prompting Christine Smith, an associate professor of psychology, human development, and women’s and gender studies, and former UWGB student Hanette Kamanda to find ways to make sure the students of color stayed at the university. 

In the school’s most recent data, 707 white students started in 2016 and 37.5% of them graduated in four years. Out of the 102 freshmen of color, 30.4% graduated, according to University of Wisconsin System data.

In 2020, 80.8% of students at UWGB were white, 2.3% Black, 1.2% American Indian and 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, including on the Marinette, Sheboygan and Manitowoc campuses, according to UW System data.

Smith and Kamanda decided to create a peer program, mirroring similar courses at other universities. The goal is to boost retention rates and increase support for students of color at UWGB.

“With BIPOC R.I.S.E, we look to raise intersectional strengths through engagement with peer mentoring,” said senior Myah Henderson, a mentor in the program. "We establish goals with our mentees that really touch on all aspects of their life that's going to be necessary for them to have a successful transition into college."

The program started out offering online training to students during the pandemic last year, such as how to build study skills, access wellness resources on campus, and learn about financial literacy. This fall, the program began pairing seven older students with freshmen to mentor them, check in with the mentees weekly, and attend events on campus together.

Freshman Mack Gore came to campus from Illinois this semester and is learning how to adjust to the new courses and study time. She decided to join BIPOC R.I.S.E. to get tips on how to balance everything in her schedule, and already having the group's network of support has gone beyond her expectations.

"They're definitely involved in our lives and want to know how (our lives are) going," Gore said.

"They're really fun to be around and we do fun social events," she said, "and they're very much there for you — not only for your goals but also just there for you and care about your life."

Henderson, who is Gore's mentor, shared breathing exercises, meditation and mindfulness ideas to help her cope with stress. She also works with her to set academic goals and find a work-life balance that works for her.

The students in the program are required to go to a couple of events on campus, and they get a $200 stipend to the university bookstore if they complete the mentorship.

Being a peer-to-peer program also helps build relationships between the mentor and mentee, Smith said, and gives you someone you can go to who knows what it’s like to be a student of color on a predominantly white campus.

“Some of our students come from areas like Milwaukee and are having some significant culture shock," Smith said. "Just being the only person of color in your class, how do you deal with that — those kinds of unique circumstances. Our mentors can help with that because they’ve been there."

The program also recently extended to helping students of color in high school. Hannah Beauchamp-Pope, a junior at UWGB, works with students at Green Bay Preble to help prepare them for college and succeed in high school. The students in the high school's Diversity Leadership group work with Beauchamp-Pope to come up with solutions for challenges at Preble.

Then they become their own mentors and teach other high school students how to advocate for themselves.

“For the high schoolers, our main focus is just building that self-efficacy and then academic, social, health and wellness, and daily living goals," Beauchamp-Pope said. "That's kind of like our reference throughout the year to go back to. But overall, it's also just teaching them how to deal with things when they come into obstacles or how to push through failure.”

The program ultimately works to remind students they are geared for success and celebrate the work they did to get to college.

It also challenges assumptions that students of color are bound to struggle academically, Henderson said.

“Obviously, for students to be able to make it here — especially as first-generation students — they have already proved that they are taking all these strengths with them and that they have all of these tools in their belt to be able to be successful in college," Henderson said.

UWGB has extended the program to include mentors on the Sheboygan and Manitowoc campuses.

As the program grows, the group hopes to invite career professionals and provide scholarships for students.

“Our goal is to really build the sense of community on campus and give students of color a sense of belonging," Beauchamp-Pope said. "That's usually what students are missing to help them succeed.”

Gore wants to become a mentor in the program when she is an upperclassman if she has the time to give freshmen the support and fun she's getting now.

"If I have difficulties with certain things or stuff that other people can't relate to, it's very nice to know that I could go to them and they understand where I'm coming from and what I'm talking," Gore said. "It's a really nice safe space."

Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @benita_mathew.