New leadership programs connect black Westminster students with community

Students and mentors in the Pasley-Taylor Leadership Program. The Pasley-Taylor Program, along with the Bagby Leadership Program, are new groups designed to connect African American female and male Westminster students respectively with mentors and leaders in the Fulton and Callaway County community.
Students and mentors in the Pasley-Taylor Leadership Program. The Pasley-Taylor Program, along with the Bagby Leadership Program, are new groups designed to connect African American female and male Westminster students respectively with mentors and leaders in the Fulton and Callaway County community.

Two new leadership programs at Westminster College aim to plug in African American students at Westminster College with mentors in the Callaway community.

The Bagby Leadership Program and the Pasley-Taylor Leadership Program will connect male and female students respectively with mentors in Fulton and around the county. The groups meet once a month with mentors to encourage networking, mentoring and college community unity.

The Bagby Program started Sept. 25 with about 25 students and eight mentors, while the Pasley-Taylor Program first met Oct. 18 with about 15 students and mentors each.

The programs are sponsored by the Office of Intercultural Engagement under the Emerson Center for Leadership and Service, and came about following conversations with Westminster professor Bob Hansen and Fulton Police Lieutenant Andre Cook on how many students from Westminster are from out of town and don't feel connected to the Callaway community.

"Myself and (Hansen) kind of collaborated, and we'd been tossing around the idea and decided "quit talking about it; let's get it done,'" said Cook.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.