The African American Male Initiative will be holding an open house for any young African American male who wants support navigating college life. The initiative is led by 3 leaders. Coordinators Marc Dewitt and De’Shawna Yamini and the Director Christopher Welch. These three have set out to help young African American males not only find the right path but find the finish line.
The Initiative has four main goals out lined in their mission statement. The first is for Certificate and Degree Completion. For Yamini, who finished her degree after 6 years, she finds this to be one of the most important parts of the Initiative.
“I am a Sinclair graduate and it took me way too long to get my degree. So I want to share my experience and let them know you can do this, you can do this in a reasonable time frame. You should get an associate’s degree in two years and no more than three. So let’s work to get you to that point,” she said.
The second goal is Term to Term Persistence Rate. The leaders want to see these young men continue and achieve at a persistent pace. The goal here is to change a demographic of a lack of young African American men from finishing not only Sinclair but at any college in the nation.
“We get about 200 African American males every year and only about six percent graduate in a six-year window and that’s a national metric so it looks even more dismal at a community college,” Dewitt said.
The 6 percent graduation rate is the call to action the Initiative is looking to take a hold of and grow. They want to see their young men accomplish the goals they set for themselves and follow the path laid out for them. They want to cut the timeframe of 6 years to 3 years.
The third goal of the initiative is maintaining a GPA in Good Standing. The goal is to keep the young men from failing or flunking and as the last goal says, keep a persistence from term to term. The fourth and final goal is Personal and Professional Development.
The development of personal and professional life is at the heart of the Initiative. Each goal shows they want their young men to flourish and be successful. For Dewitt and Yamini this is a full circle, since both graduated from Sinclair. They want to give their young men the support they didn’t have.
“I didn’t know anything about the college process…. I was the first one from my family to go to college. I am able to do for students something that was never done for me,” Yamini said.
Beyond those 4 goals, the 3 leaders care. They want more than recognition, they want results and to give their knowledge and support. The goal they have is to change the perception that Sinclair isn’t just a community college but a launch pad for success.
“Sinclair wasn’t my first choice, when it should’ve been,” Dewitt and Yamini said.
If you are a young African American man and you are looking for support, looking for somebody who has been there before, and someone who looks at you as a person and not a demographic, then this initiative is the place you need to be. Their support and care is genuine. You will find your finish line if you find your place.
Justus Hayes
Reporter