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A Whole Greater than Its Parts!
Support our Black students with Black mentors.
Make your gift to the Dr. LaVerne Gyant Mentoring Program
to empower our Black students to thrive in their NIU studies.
We heard it so many times in 2020 – “We’re all in this together.” – and the words illustrate the unparalleled power of diversity and collaboration. With your help, we can pair Black alumni with Black students to nurture relationships steeped in wisdom and guidance that produce excellent outcomes for our students and their families and communities.
How will it work?
The program will launch this fall with the naming of undergraduate students “Dr. G. Scholars” who are paired with alumni for one-on-one mentoring along with academic, social and cultural experiences. We will focus on creating safe and supportive spaces that allow positive relationships, social competence and self-esteem to develop. Our participating students also will learn more about valuable resources provided on campus to support their academic success.
Your generosity will fund in-person kick-off events in conjunction with Homecoming, branded apparel, professional development opportunities, printed certificates, awards ceremonies and more.
Next fall we will expand the program to include graduate students called “Dr. G. Fellows.”
What will it yield?
We expect that our Dr. G. Scholars and Fellows will become more independent learners and professionals who advocate for themselves, flourish in their careers, advance their fields, grow their communities and seek out assistance and resources as needed.
Why is it named for Dr. Gyant?
A beloved professor in our Department of Counseling and Higher Education, and a former director of the NIU Center for Black Studies, Dr. Gyant personally has mentored numerous Black students during her tenure DeKalb. She’s also fortunate to see the dividends of her work in the careers of two of her College of Education colleagues whom she mentored during their time as students.
In her own words: “It’s my mission to continue the work of women of African descent, activists and educators, my grandmother and mother. It’s my responsibility to make sure that the next generation is prepared to continue and build upon the legacy left to them.”
On behalf of Dr. Gyant, thank you for joining us to honor her calling – and to pay it forward to future generations of NIU Huskies!
