Advocates for Inclusive Mentoring

In 2016, Advocates for Inclusive Mentoring was born as a student-led initiative to provide peer-to-peer mentoring relationships specifically for Saint Ben’s students of color and first-generation students.

“We chose to create AIM because we wanted to give other young women the motivation and the platform that we lacked as underrepresented women at CSB,” said Frida Alvarez ’17 back in 2017 of the program that she and her classmate Bryanna Williamson ’17 concepted and piloted during the 2016-17 academic year.

The program has been undeniably successful – providing crucial help and support for young student mentees and valuable leadership experiences for senior mentors. As Bryanna put it recently, “My role in AIM helped me to find a strong voice as a leader and help other women find theirs as well.”

Currently the college is moving forward with plans to strengthen and formalize the AIM model for the future through scholarships and stipends. The goal is to ensure that every incoming first-generation, low-income BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) Bennie is guaranteed an AIM mentor to smooth her transition to and through college.