Denisha Baylor and Ashley Peard (Whetstone staff writers)

The Whetstone/ Chochise Lucas

Wesley College’s Black Student Union, is offering a new mentoring program this year to help retain minority students by helping them improve academically and involve them more in the community.

P.U.L.S.E. (Purpose Unity Leadership Self Determination Excellence) is connected with BSU because it pairs minority freshmen with an upper-classman to guide the student in making the correct social and academic decisions.

“P.U.L.S.E was created to help minority freshmen students adjust to the college life better,” said Antonique Vinson, a mentor and program coordinator. “It is to help them culturally, socially and academically.”

Mentors meet with their mentees on their own time talk during the summer before school begins, Vinson said.

“I wanted to join BSU because in order to be successful we must come together as a family and work towards our graduation,” said freshman Laura Jones, a member of BSU and a mentee in the P.U.L.S.E program.

Vinson says that the P.U.L.S.E. program and BSU are beneficial to all students.

“Students can benefit being involved and they can learn about the different racial issues on campus and in the country. It is to teach about tolerance and to uplift,” she said.