MSU Day One Leadership Community seeking faculty, staff mentors for fall semester

Mississippi State students smile for the camera while holding and wearing light blue Day One Leadership T-shirts.

Mississippi State's Day One Leadership Community is searching for dedicated faculty and staff members to serve as team mentors for college freshmen during the upcoming fall semester.

Day One is a service-learning community for entering freshmen who take a two-credit course on leadership and apply what they learn through 20 hours of community service in the fall semester. Faculty and staff mentors guide a single team of 5-7 students toward completion of a community service project. Mentors help coordinate team members' efforts to meet the needs of the community and also help the students with developing their leadership skills.

The mentor will meet with his or her team each Wednesday from 10-10:50 a.m. to provide coaching on the service-learning project, and also is expected to grade written reflections that the students submit online. Mentors typically spend 1.5-2.5 hours per week, including Wednesday class time, on Day One responsibilities.

Volunteering to be a Day One Mentor is a great way to help entering freshmen transition into college life and to satisfy one’s own desire to serve the community.

Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact Matt Interis, Day One mentor coordinator, at m.interis@msstate.edu or 662-325-4787.

For more information on Day One, visit www.dayone.msstate.edu.