SOAR Mentoring Program Expands Resources

When the SOAR (Students of ALANA Representation) mentoring program was created at Hartwick three years ago, the intent was to pair first-year students of color with a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) or ALANA (Asian, Latino, African, Native American) faculty or staff member for an additional layer of support. This year, two more groups will be added to the program: LGBTQ+ and first-generation students. 

In addition to the inclusion of the two groups, the program has also expanded to include alumni and student peer mentors. 

As a first-generation Latinx student, Associate Director of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Samantha Lara says she would have loved something like this when she was in college. “The heaviest portion of support we provide is the social, emotional, and mental assistance that a lot of students need when coming into college, especially students in historically marginalized populations,” said Lara. “And because we have some faculty members as mentors, they are able to provide a layer of academic support or can point students in the direction of the appropriate resource.”  

For more information about SOAR, email Samantha Lara at laras@hartwick.edu.