{"id":44076,"date":"2022-07-18T07:55:47","date_gmt":"2022-07-18T11:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=44076"},"modified":"2023-07-26T20:17:25","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T00:17:25","slug":"smooth-transition-new-program-prepares-men-of-color-for-life-at-utc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2022\/07\/smooth-transition-new-program-prepares-men-of-color-for-life-at-utc\/","title":{"rendered":"Smooth transition: New program prepares men of color for life at UTC"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"From

Current UTC undergraduates are assisting incoming MOC Academy students with advice, mentorship and simple friendship. From left: UTC student mentor Juan Aponte, incoming first-year students Alvin and Albert Bolden, mentor Donald Webb. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

Alvin Bolden was born 21 minutes before his twin Albert. It might not seem like much, but Alvin insists it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty-one minutes. Makes a difference,\u201d he said while Albert sat next to him with an expression of \u201cYeah, right. Heard this<\/em> before.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fraternal twins are connected by more than just birthdays and DNA. This fall, they\u2019ll leave their home in Dyersburg, Tennessee, to be freshmen at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Alvin will major in electrical engineering while Albert will pursue a degree in graphic design.<\/p>\n

Any nerves?<\/p>\n

\u201cA tiny bit,\u201d Alvin said, holding his index finger and thumb a tiny bit apart. \u201cIf I\u2019m not confident about it, I know I\u2019ll be extremely scared. So I\u2019ve just got to be confident.\u201d<\/p>\n

To build confidence for their new adventure, the twins enrolled in MOC Academy<\/a>, a newly created, year-long program for male students of color at UTC. National numbers show men of color don\u2019t do as well enrolling and staying in college, said Jason Harville, assistant director of Student Success Programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the trend nationwide, so it\u2019s not unique to us,\u201d he said. \u201cLooking at those numbers and knowing that a diverse campus is important, increasing those numbers is important.\u201d<\/p>\n

MOC Academy was developed to address the issue, he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen these males see this program and hear about this program, it shows that the University is placing importance on them being here,\u201d Harville said.<\/p>\n

When they heard about MOC Academy, the Bolden twins had the same first impression.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, it just seemed like a good idea. A really good idea. I had a good vibe from it,\u201d Alvin said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the same thing that you said,\u201d Albert added, pointing at his brother. \u201cJust having a good vibe about it. Also, one thing you didn\u2019t mention is that there was a little bit of pestering from our parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Incoming

Incoming first-year UTC students Albert and Alvin Bolden, part of the inaugural MOC Academy, stand outside Patten House.<\/p><\/div>\n

With 13 students, the program started in a virtual format in late June before moving to the UTC campus on July 9. The on-campus experience includes a daily course that helps the students \u201ctransition into UTC and focuses on many topics, including time management, academic success and diversity,\u201d Harville said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis version of the course covers all these topics but is taught keeping in mind the lens through which the MOC Academy scholars will see the campus as males of color.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rooming together in Stagmaier Hall housing, the students also have time to hang out, a key part of the program.<\/p>\n

A group of current UTC male students of color are helping MOC Academy members with advice, mentorship and simple friendship. Their main goal, mentors say, is to show the new students that they\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n

Getting involved in campus organizations and activities, not being afraid to meet new people and knowing about support services are some of the major lessons that MOC Academy students need to know.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to make them feel welcome, make them feel like they have community here,\u201d said mentor Juan Aponte, a senior in political science.<\/p>\n

Coming to UTC from his home in Puerto Rico was Aponte\u2019s first time away from home, and he needed help to adjust.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have any family, didn\u2019t know anybody here, and that community building made me feel like I had a place to go,\u201d he said. \u201cJust talk to someone; that really impacted me as a freshman. And it made me seek these opportunities out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donald Webb, a sophomore in education and a MOC Academy mentor, said getting involved in campus organizations such as the Black Student Alliance during his freshman year made him more comfortable.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very introverted, so I made myself a promise to get out there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mentor Ayub Farah, a junior in exercise science, said he hopes to help those in MOC Academy \u201cfind a safe space\u201d and avoid some of the issues he faced after moving from Memphis to attend UTC.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to navigate scholarships, academia, especially in a predominantly white society, you\u2019re not that comfortable sometimes. So having a safe space is really important,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Through MOC Academy, Alvin (the \u201coldest\u201d Bolden twin) said he has enjoyed \u201cmeeting new people and getting away from home a little bit, but also I want to grow as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to get more experience. I want to learn more. I want to be able to apply the skills that I have or that I will learn in order to help others,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPicked the words right out of my mouth,\u201d Albert added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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The MOC Academy, created by Student Success Programs, is a new UTC program aimed at preparing first-year undergraduate men of color for a successful transition to college.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1105,"featured_media":44078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,70230,661],"tags":[119543,119542,119547,119546,48470,119545,119544,119086],"class_list":{"0":"post-44076","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-engagement-and-access","8":"category-news","9":"category-students","10":"tag-albert-bolden","11":"tag-alvin-bolden","12":"tag-ayub-farah","13":"tag-donald-webb","14":"tag-jason-harville","15":"tag-juan-aponte","16":"tag-moc-academy","17":"tag-student-success-programs","18":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nSmooth 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