St. Cloud State celebrated the sixth year of Dr. Potter’s Bigs on Campus Program this May.
The program brings together faculty, staff and alumni with students from South Junior High and Tech High School for a mentoring relationship where the students learn about college opportunities while also engaging in fun activities such as bowling, ice skating and campus tours.
Bigs on Campus celebrated 28 matches this year and is looking to expand to an additional 35 mentors beginning in fall 2022.
For more information or to sign up as a mentor, fill out the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota Volunteer Interest Form.
Matches can be faculty, staff members, alumni, or juniors, seniors or graduate students. They meet with their matches from October through May.
The initiative is a partnership between St. Cloud State University, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minnesota and the St. Cloud Area School District. The mentoring program brings local youth to the university and immerses them in the possibilities of post-secondary education.
Mentees are bused to campus twice a month to meet one-on-one with a caring, positive mentor.
The late President Earl H. Potter II was a longtime supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters and an eager partner early on in the initiative. His commitment to Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Bigs on Campus initiative inspired the program to be named in his honor.
Bigs on Campus mentors inspire and give their mentees a look at the college experience. They bring higher education into their life, so they can potentially see themselves in that setting.
