COLLEGE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Making the Crooked Path Straight 

For Black girls and gender-expansive folks, the pathway to success can often feel like a winding road with misleading directions and too many red lights. Our six-month College Mentorship Program makes the journey of professional development a smoother ride for early-career Black Girl Environmentalists by creating empowering spaces to learn tangible skills that will assist them in securing internships, jobs, and advanced education. 

Black girl environmentalists belong in the environmental movement. This program helps BGEs discover their path in the movement and how to use their unique talents and education to contribute to the field. 

Mentorship Perks Include: 

  • $250 stipend 

  • Guidance from an industry mentor

  • Bi-weekly digital professional development training

OUR FOCUS ON HBCUs AND MSIs

This program has a priority on those who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), as well as Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and community colleges. 

HBCUs are often sites of environmental injustice and are also places that are uniquely crafted to build future Black leaders. HBCU students are in a unique position of marginalization and disenfranchisement when it comes to resource access, career opportunities, and the climate. Black girls and gender-expansive folk are no strangers to this. 

Similar to HBCU students, MSI and community college students also face barriers to career development opportunities due to funding issues or lack of representation. This is why BGE is ensuring that at least half of the Mentorship Cohort is from these kinds of institutions. This intentionality has allowed us to build a pipeline of training and support that does not reliably exist for this population.

MEET THE MENTEES

  • Madison Maxwell, North Carolina A&T State University

    Major: Biological Engineering

    Mentor: Suraya Williams, Associate Program Officer (Environment) at Robertson Foundation

  • Jamiya Barnett, The Ohio State University

    Major: Public Management, Leadership, and Policy

    Mentor: Sierra Taliaferro, Community Outreach Associate at Environmental Protection Network

  • Sierra Franco, North Carolina A&T State University

    Major: Biological Engineering

    Mentor: Jasmine Walker, Strategic Urban Planner at GHD

  • Mia Dent, North Carolina A&T State University

    Major(s): Political Science and Agricultural & Environmental Systems

    Mentor: Chandra Farley, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Atlanta

  • Jasmynh Stokes, Amherst College

    Major(s): Environmental Studies & Black Studies

    Mentor: Samata Patterson, Executive Director of Black Pearl

  • Syan Smoot, Morgan State University

    Major: Civil Engineering

    Mentor: Dr. Kilian Bishop, Co-founder of Stem Noire

  • Nia McKenzie, Spelman College

    Major: Environmental Science

    Mentor: Nia Rivers, Environmental Scientist at The Commonwealth of Kentucky

  • Amanda Eric, Pomona College

    Major: Cognitive Science with a concentration in Human Centered Design

    Mentor: Whitney McGuire, Founder & Managing Partner at The McGuire Consulting Group

  • Miarri Phillips, University of Colorado Denver

    Major: Sociology

    Mentor: LaTresse Snead, CEO of Bonsai Leadership Group

  • Isa Marin, Florida Atlantic University

    Major: English

    Mentor: Natalie Mebane, Vice President of Government Affairs at Rise to Thrive

  • SaMiya Carroll, Washington University in St. Louis

    Major: Sociology

    Mentor: Shamar A. Bibbins, Senior Program Officer at The Kresge Foundation

  • Tyra Alexander, Arizona State University

    Major: Liberal Studies

    Mentor: Lori Caldwell, Owner & Operator at CompostGal Consulting, Landscaping & Education

  • Laila Greene, University of Maryland, College Park

    Major: Environmental Science & Policy Major

    Mentor: Nicole E. Noëlliste, Environmental Attorney at Sidley Austin LLP

  • Lalah Choice, Florida A&M University

    Major: Environmental Studies

    Mentor: Dr. Cinda Scott, Center Director at The School for Field Studies in Bocas del Toro, Panamágoes

PROGRAM INFORMATION

  • The application opens on March 25, 2024 and closes on April 26 at 11:59pm EST.

    You can apply using the link here

    You must submit using the official application link to be considered.

  • You are a current undergraduate university or community college student with at least one semester of schooling completed. 

    You are passionate about the environment and are eager to learn more about environmental career possibilities. 

    Able to express your goals for the mentorship program and actively engage in setting goals and communicating with your mentor.

    Demonstrate openness to guidance, feedback, and support, with a growth mindset and willingness to learn and embrace discomfort.

  • This program will require a 20-30 hourly commitment with regularly scheduled meetings, fireside chats, professional development exercise over from the months of April to October.

  • Anyone living in any US State or Territory is eligible to apply. The mentorship program is virtual.

  • Application Opens 3/25

    Applications Close 4/26

    Applicants Notified 5/3

    April - October Program Is Underway

  • Please email us at Elsa@blackgirlenvironmentalist.org for any questions or concerns.