The BSU Outreach Program
By Deb White
As Vice President of the Black Student Union, I am responsible for leading community service activities within the organization. Our main community service project has been the BSU Outreach Program. We launched the program in September 2006. The mission of the program is to assist young women in their pursuit of higher education. We mentor girls at Westinghouse High School (my alma mater!) that are in their junior or senior year of high school. We facilitate workshops such as educational pursuits, taking a college tour, and financial aid options, just to name a few.
My vision for the program was inspired by my personal experience I had in high school. I realized that I had a strong support system within my family as well as at school and that there were people cheering me on to succeed. Without that support system, I think my ideas about college, and dedication towards higher education would not be as strong. Thus, I recognized that some students may not have a strong support system, and may very well be in search of it. So, I thought, why not be the catalyst for change, and hope in the lives of the youth? Collaboration with the members of the Black Student Union and their eagerness to participate made the process of creating the outreach program smooth. Our hope is to provide insight concerning our personal experiences throughout college, as we are currently going through them. Speaking about our experiences and struggles while we are faced with them has great impact, because we can easily relate to situations, and offer advice on how to tackle each one, one step at a time.
So, anyone that is interested in being a mentor for the BSU Outreach Program, do not hesitate to contact me for more information. It is truly a rewarding experience! You can reach me at chathamambassador@chatham.edu or (412) 365-1616 if you have any questions.
Posted by sstulga at 1:44 PM | Link | 2 comments
Hi everyone! My name is Elizabeth Cochran, but most of my friends just call me Liz. I’m a sophomore here at Chatham, with a major in Professional Communications-Public Relations and an Economics minor. After graduating, I’ll be pursuing a Master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Health Care Policy and Management, as a part of the 5-Year Master’s program. I’ll be cross-registering at Pitt in the spring, taking an Economics course, so I’m just learning the ropes of that whole process. I have always had an interest in dance, especially ballet and Pointe. I come from a small town, about 30 minutes Northeast of Pittsburgh, called Lower Burrell, so I love the Steelers!! 
