fall 2016

NEWSLETTER

Coppin’s Business Mogul Student When Brazil-native Kawe Das Merces arrived in Texas as a 17-year-old foreign exchange student back in 2012--it was settled. “I fell in love with the idea of coming to school in the United States,” said Merces. “So, I knew I had to finish technical school [in Brazil] and then come back.” When it was time to pick his American school, only one stood out: Coppin State University. “I found out about Coppin after reading an article on Dr. [ Jamal] Uddin and his big research on nanotechnology, which is the same thing I was studying in technical school,” he said. Merces got accepted at Coppin and his grades and test scores earned him a Golden Eagles Honors Scholarship. The now 21-year-old sophomore is a computer science and math double major and is completing a nine-month course on data science at Johns Hopkins. But that’s not all. The full-time student has a profitable hobby—a website design business that he launched during his first semester at Coppin. “We were lacking a good STEM website to display all the great things we were doing here,” Merces explained. “Dr. [Nicholas] Eugene said we really needed one. I didn’t know anything about making websites, but I just tried it.”

Seven months later, Merces has not only created the STEM website, he has built sites for a handful of churches and local businesses. “Every time I see something that needs repair, I think about different ways to solve the problem,” Merces said. “That’s what math and computer science is all about. I’m just good at identifying issues and trying to find creative solutions.” The Coppin student expects his business to expand and lead to new entrepreneurial pursuits. “I have ideas at all times; it’s like little bombs explode in my head,” he said with a chuckle. “Maybe the website business is something I will carry on forever but it won’t prevent me from investing time in other things.” “Other things” include his dreams of becoming a college professor and data science researcher. “Juggling everything is very demanding, but you have to see college as not only a stepping stone, but the real world,” he explained. “As an intern and researcher, I make more than my family does in an entire year. It’s just a matter of being strong and bold. If you think about it, a lot of people have dreams and even potential but they kind of sit there because they don’t believe they can do it. Just go for it. There are so many opportunities at Coppin; it’s just a matter of going there and showing up.”

Faith-Based Supporter Spotlight a significant impact on young people,” he said, praising Our House Coordinator Steve Delice and the rest of the mentors. “These young people are going to graduate and run companies and all that, but they are going to need people to encourage them along the way--in addition to family.”

Rev. Julian Rivera Fulton Baptist Church He is not an HBCU grad, but Reverend Julian Rivera takes pride in Coppin. “I believe it’s important for our church—which is so close in proximity to Coppin—to have a relationship with the school,” said Rev. Rivera. “I thought [getting involved] with Our House was a good way to develop relationships--not just with the students, but the entire university, as well.”

The pastor plans to continue his partnership with Coppin, and although a handful of Coppin students still visit his church on occasion, he wants to foster a strong bond with even more students. “I have heard many students say they would come to the church if we would physically come get them, so we are in the process of working on that,” Rev. Rivera explained. “We are seeking to secure a bus over the next few months, and our hope is that it will open the door for students who wish to visit the church.”

Paying it Forward

Rev. Rivera’s church, affectionately nicknamed “The Friendly Church on the Corner,” is just a four-minute drive down North Avenue from Coppin’s campus, according to Google Maps. The pastor served as a faith-based mentor for the Our House program last year, opened his church doors to the university by hosting a ‘Coppin Sunday’ event, and donated $500 to the school. He called the Coppin Sunday experience “well-coordinated and pleasant,” and a mutually beneficial opportunity to encourage his congregation to pursue higher education, while inviting the Coppin family to attend his church. “We have Coppin alumni here [in the congregation], including Our House volunteering at Maryland Food Bank my wife, and we have some grandmothers here who are now “We appreciate everyone taking the time to assist us in improving interested in going to college,” he said. the lives of hungry Marylanders. On 2/20/2016, your team assisted in the packing of 12,579 pounds of food which equates to 15,095 As for his church’s donation: “We want to show our support, not meals! “ just by saying it, but by sowing an offering to the university to - Diane Weil of Grace Baltimore show tangible support,” he explained. Rev. Rivera mentored a group of young men through Our House, but says he struggled to connect with the first-year students. “Mentoring is not easy by any stretch of the imagination, and I just applaud those who are able to make deep inroads and have

Nurturing Ladies to the Top Her motto is simple. Earn above a 3.0 GPA; and call her when you need her. “I don’t want to see anybody’s child--especially from out of town that doesn’t have anyone they can immediately turn to--feeling forgotten,” said Reverend Aiko Carey, the faith-based mentor for the Saint Paul House. “It makes it much more difficult if you feel you don’t have that support. So I tell all my ladies to call me [if they have any issues].” Rev. Carey has hosted her eight mentees at her home and even helped several out in emergency situations. This year, she traveled with the ladies to Washington D.C. to attend the Cherry Blossom Festival and explore our history at the Smithsonian. It was the first time many of the young women had been to the nation’s capital. Her dedication has paid off. Saint Paul was the highest performing House last year. Jasmine Newmen, a psychology major and Saint Paul House mentee, credits Carey with helping her master time management and etiquette skills, while fostering a support system. “I’m from Connecticut, so this was the perfect opportunity for me to get familiar with campus and I didn’t feel like I was alone,” she said. “A lot of my friends did struggle, especially second semester because they didn’t have this type of experience. I’m so thrilled that I had Our House to keep me on track.” Newmen ended the fall semester with a 3.6 GPA and looks forward to becoming a mentor. It was the Saint Paul House’s strict emphasis on education that helped the students thrive, according to Rigel Moore, a rising senior, who has served as an Our House mentor since her sophomore year. The psychology major said it was important to shape a mentee program that included workshops, open discussions, and the clear expectation that earning anything below a 3.0 GPA was unacceptable. Moore said she wants to pass on the knowledge she acquired as a participant in Coppin’s Summer Academic Success Academy (SASA) to incoming freshmen. “In high school, I wasn’t the best student,” Rigel said. “I lacked a mentor and I feel like my qualities were nurtured [through SASA]. I did extremely well my freshman year and I feel like I can help mentees start off on a good track because it is better to start strong at the beginning then have to struggle to bring up grades later.” She calls Rev. Carey the “mother” of the house, noting that the 1981 Coppin graduate is also a personal mentor who has been compassionate when “her back was against the wall” and when

she simply needed encouragement. Those qualities likely helped Rev. Carey capture the title of Mentor of the Year, Fall 2014 - Spring 2015. Rev. Carey said she felt compelled to give back to her alma mater after attending an alumni function two years ago, and she has led the Saint Paul House ever since. “I’m a strong believer in HBCUs,” she explained. “I could have gone to any school, but I always wanted to go to Coppin, and I want to see young African American men and women excel.” Rev. Carey encourages her mentees to chronicle their experiences in journals and host study groups on campus. She also reassures the young women that it is okay to have multiple interests. “You pick the field you are interested in, and you may decide that is not necessarily what you want to do, but you can still use it and opens doors for yourself,” she said, pointing to herself as an example. She graduated with a degree in special education, but switched careers after two years of teaching to devote the next nearly three decades to the corrections field. Her current mission is to challenge other alumni to invest in their alma mater. “I have a grave concern for my generation forgetting where we came from,” Rev. Carey said. “We have not completely arrived…At one time we couldn’t attend Ivy League schools, so I feel we should never forget our HBCUs. Any way we can contribute financially or with our time is important because if we allow our history to be erased, it will be.”

Want to know more about Our House? Contact: Steve Delice, M.Ed. Director of Mentoring Programs & Summer Academic Success Academy Academic Affairs Coppin State University – GJ 303 C (410)951-3590 – Direct Line (410) 951-3656 - SASA [email protected] or visit

www.coppinmentoring.com

0 . 4

Precious Udofe Sophomore, Biology major “What kept me on track was having my priorities straight and my goals in mind. I also found people who can help me and I found the best places to study!”

b u l c

Anil Yadav Sophomore Computer Science Major

“Having a mentor really helps. My mentor guided me to stay focused. College can be tough at times but we just need to have patience, do hard work

and be determined about what we really want to achieve.”

Tiana Smith Sophomore, Business Management Major “Focus on yourself and don’t let anyone distract you.” (Tiana earned a 4.0 in Fall 2015 & Spring 2016 )

Obinna Iwuji Sophomore, Biology Major “I had to remember why I was here in the first place: to get an education and learn. So, I did the best I could while also finding time to relax.”

OUR HOUSE Tutoring Business/Finance: Chemistry: Computer Science: Criminal Justice: History: Mathematics:

Tues/Thurs: 1–2 p.m. Mon: 4–5 p.m. & Wed: 4–6 p.m. Mon/Wed/Fri: 12–2 p.m, Tues: 3:30–5 p.m. & Wed: 5–6:30 p.m. Tues/Thurs/Fri: 2:30–5 p.m. Mon: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m & Wed: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m Tues: 2–4 p.m & Thurs: 1–2 p.m. Mon/Wed/Fri: 12–2 p.m. Thurs: 12:30–2:30 p.m, Fri: 1–2 p.m & Tues/Thurs/Fri: 2:30–5 p.m. Tues: 3:30–5 p.m & Wed: 5–6:30 p.m.

Grace Jacobs 631 STC Building STC Building Grace Jacobs 631 Grace Jacobs 631 Library, 2nd floor STC Building Grace Jacobs 631 STC Building

For other courses & more tutoring information contact: Dr. Austin Tremblay @ 410-951-3006, Grace Hill Jacobs, Room 631

Our New Face: Austin Tremblay You may have noticed a new employee in the Our House office: Retention Specialist Austin Tremblay. All OH students will work closely with Mr. Tremblay, so we decided to ask him a few questions about his background and passion for higher education.

OH: Where’s your hometown? AT: A small town called Pembroke, North Carolina.

How long have you lived in Baltimore? This is the start of my second year.

Is it a lot different than your hometown? Actually it’s sort of similar in a few ways. I went to grad school in New Mexico first and then I went to Houston. So that is when I experienced the two weather extremes. I had total dryness in New Mexico and humidity in Houston. Now this humidity level [in Baltimore] is humane and like North Carolina…Plus the countryside in Maryland looks similar to my hometown.

So, where did you attend school? University of North Carolina at Pembroke, BA in English and Theatre Arts New Mexico State University, MFA in Creative Writing University of Houston, PhD in Literature and Creative Writing

How did you get started in higher education? Having that little state school that I attended in my hometown for my bachelor’s degree really impacted me. My parents were both teachers. They were both math teachers, but I ran as far away from that as I could. I love the calculator app on my phone. But my hometown was really small and really rural. Maybe like—5,000 people when I was there. We had only three stoplights! I loved growing up there and there were a lot of beneficial things of that country upbringing, but having that college there was a saving grace because it allowed me to have access to a world of ideas…I got to witness the effect schools have on the community and then when I went to undergrad, I loved the communal aspect of it, and I felt a strong sense of belonging that I’ve always carried with me. Higher education is very much about community building and making sure it remains a place of inclusion and a place where people and ideas are accepted.

So, what attracted you to Coppin? I’ve always been curious about how we keep students in school, so when I saw this retention opportunity available, I was really intrigued by that. I loved the diversity of the University of Houston. They actually claim to be the most diverse university in the country-- although I’m sure a lot of schools claim that-

-but I just wanted to be somewhere where there was a lot of diversity. Once I had a conversation with Steve [Delice, the Our House program director] and I heard how passionate he was about the program and how much he was able to accomplish, I was really excited to come on board.

What will you do as the retention specialist? I will try to help incoming students navigate their academic careers, which is a really complex process that has as much to do with a student’s social life and career trajectory than it does their academics. Basically I will try to make sure the program is sort of a triple threat in that we are taking a holistic approach and making sure we are serving the whole student, not just compartmental parts of the student but the whole shebang. I will also handle the day-to-day coordinating for Our House and make sure the investment Steve and the university has made in the program continues and grows so we can attract more and more students. I’m searching for the magic bullet. I want to know how to provide services for students that really help them navigate their own careers because it is really tough.

Would you say you have a unique mentoring style? I don’t know that is unique to me. I always use the metaphor of a Sherpa, which is a Tibetan mountain climber. They make the trek up the mountain with the people they are guiding. They don’t go on their own and say it’s great up there, here is a souvenir. They go with the people they are guiding. I like the idea of being supportive alongside students as they make that trek themselves. I want to be one step behind them if they slip but it’s really up to them to get up the mountain.

Now let’s get personal. What are your hobbies? Let’s see. I love to play tennis and just be outdoorsy-- camping or any excuse to get out into the country. I like peace and quiet and the meditative aspect.

Yes, I bet it reminds you of home. Anything else you’d like students to know? I’m pretty open to having conversations and I’m pretty laid back. Just drop by and have a conversation and we’ll figure out a common interest.

Where is your office located and what’s your contact information if students want to reach you? Grace Hill Jacobs, Room 631. Telephone: 410 - 951 - 3006 Email: [email protected]

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!!

Coppin

Proud!

Our House Newsletter - Fall 2016.pdf

Page 1 of 6. fall 2016. NEWSLETTER. When Brazil-native Kawe Das Merces arrived in. Texas as a 17-year-old foreign exchange student. back in 2012--it was settled. “I fell in love with the idea of coming to. school in the United States,” said Mer- ces. “So, I knew I had to fnish techni- cal school [in Brazil] and then come. back.

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