CHANGE FOR THE GOOD
Christopher Cash (‘06) and Dr. Estelle Young
MORGAN MENTORS & WINSTON WINNERS By Monica Chambers Under the leadership of Christopher Cash (‘06), students at Morgan State University are participating in a unique mentoring program that exemplifies the slogan “Each One Teach One.” Through the Morgan Mentors Winston Winners program, MSU students volunteer as mentors to students at Winston Middle School in Baltimore City. The mission of this program is to meet middle school students “where they are” and to introduce them to educational and vocational opportunities that will better prepare them for the professional and academic roads that lies ahead. Winston Middle School is a perfect choice for this mentoring program. It is a federally funded Title I school, with a majority of the students living in lowincome households. Many of the students are being raised by relatives or by a single parent who heads the household, or are residents of group homes. In many cases, they have parents who are incarcerated or spend much of their time in the streets.
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They are young impressionable minds that are vulnerable and available to the persuasions of street culture. With unstable households and a lack of strong support systems, many of the students experience academic and behavior problems. Cash, founder and Director of Morgan Mentors, counts his blessings for having both of his parents in his life and home while growing up. “I am truly blessed to have both parents in my life who served as a guiding force. I am the youngest of five children and was also able to learn from my brothers and sisters while growing up.” As an intern student teacher at Winston Middle School, Cash soon realized, that not all young people have family support systems to rely on for proper guidance. He was inspired to start the mentoring program as his relationship with the students at Winston became overwhelming.
“I inherited over 500 children who looked up to me. They could not see themselves as students at Morgan, but thought I was special to be there. As I began to help one, there was another. I soon realized that I could not help them all alone.” With the realization that “it takes a village” to raise a child, Christopher reached out to his fellow students at MSU for help. The Morgan Mentors program began in January 2005 with 50 Morgan students as mentor volunteers.
the transformative power The program now has over 200 volunteers. With the belief that they can make a difference, MSU students volunteer their valuable time to be matched oneon-one with a student from Winston Middle School. Volunteers are expected to meet with their mentee bi-weekly serving as a big brother or sister, educator, guide and friend. The Winston students have the
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