On any given day in the David Family Campus Center, you will find students networking and snacking in between classes in a small hub outside of an office near the bookstore. That office belongs to Carrilyn Long, Director of Multicultural Affairs. She has an open-door policy, and she is proud to be a resource for students.
“I try to stay later in the evening, so there’s a presence,” said Long. “It helps the students feel connected and engaged. This is just who I am. I like seeing them outside my office.”
The hub has become an unofficial “hang out” to make friends, ask questions, and catch up with their peer mentors. MOSAIC Peer mentoring program is a new initiative this year, funded by a grant from the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges. Freshmen are assigned to one of 13 upper classmen. Before a student can become a peer mentor, they are asked to read Life’s Great Question: Discover How You Contribute to the World by Tom Rath. The main quote in the book “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., aligns with the mission of Walsh to serve others.
“It’s our mission to be a benefit to others,” said Long. “We’ve all had people help us along the way. This is one way they can give back and make an impact.”
Students who frequent the hub include Wesley Burton, Quentin Morris III and Talia McLin. Burton, a senior who wants to start a nonprofit that works with refugees after graduation, is a peer mentor. He helps connect students to resources on campus and answers questions they may be too scared to ask others. Morris III, a freshman studying to become a veterinarian, said meeting and talking with friends outside of Long’s office gives him a sense of belonging. McLin, a freshman majoring in governmental affairs, aspires to travel the world and work for the CIA or as a diplomat.
Pictured left to right: Talia McLin, Carrilyn Long, Wesley Burton, and Quentin Morris III.