Mentor Mondays Makes A Mark

Mentor Mondays Makes A Mark 

Ebony Ivey

Dorian Clark, host of Mentor Monday, shares his "Chart Your Life" activity with the group. 

Tallahassee, Fla. – Every Monday on FAMU's campus, a select group of students meet to discuss the ups of downs of being a college student. The students meet for one hour, which includes several activities, games, worksheets, meaningful conversations and most enticingly to the students, food. The students, who are paired up with one another based on several similarities, meet for what is most commonly known as "Mentor Mondays".  

Each week, Mentor Monday includes a different theme and varying activities for the mentors and mentees to participate in. Spearheading the sessions, is mentor Dorian Clark. Dorian is a third year, food science student.  

The topic that sparked many students interest was "Depression".  

Clark admitted that he chose the topic of depression, because he, along with several of his close friends have dealt with the issue. 

"You would think that because we're in college, we have nothing to be depressed about, but there is. You have school, you have classes, you have stress from home and stress from doing better." "Sometimes when you fail something it really brings you down," Clark said. 

"Chart Your Life" was the title of the activity associated with the Depression theme. This activity allowed students to chart the "highs" and "lows" of their lives. On a piece of blank paper, students were to pinpoint several good and bad times starting from a young age ranging until their current college years via a line or bar graph.  

Clark along with several other mentors and menses displayed their life graphs and explained why they charted certain ages of their life to be higher than others.  

Sample "Chart Your Life" graph displaying a time period in life, and the correlating level of satisfaction. 

"A low point in my life involved my dad. I didn’t know that not having a dad was weird until high school. Around my junior and senior years of high school, I got depressed about that. When I finally met him, I forgave him for not being in my life for 18 years," Clark said.  

Co-advisor for the program is Resident Director for Sampson and Young Hall, William Johnson. Johnson has played a vital role in getting several residents and resident assistants to join the program as mentors or mentees.    

Johnson was optimistic about the program's outcome. "I love it. I think it's a great program and I've seen the students grow since the program first started. It's been vital for both the younger and the older students involved," he said.  

Young Hall resident and mentee, Melinda Jefferies, said that her first year at FAMU has been challenging. She is dealing with difficult core classes, and finding her niche on campus.  

"I will be at the next session, because it gives me a way to get involved and be encouraged," Jefferies said.  

Clark admitted that the peer mentoring sessions has made him more confident in his organizational and public speaking skills. For more information; he encourages mentors, mentees and other interested individuals can report to the Rattlers Den at 7 p.m. each Monday.