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鈥淢entors help us bridge the gap between where we are now and where we want to be.鈥�

That description of mentoring, from keynote speaker Valencia Saint-Louis ’20, set the tone for聽Adelphi鈥檚 celebration of the聽Jovia Mentoring: Guiding and Inspiring Student Success聽program on January 29.

For Adelphi鈥檚 mentoring program, held during , proof of success is in the data. One hundred percent of students who have joined and remained in the mentoring program made it through to graduation. And their cumulative GPA is higher compared to all other undergraduates.

The founder and leader of Adelphi鈥檚聽mentoring program is Chotsani Williams West ’07, EdD, assistant vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and adjunct professor in both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences.聽

Dr. West聽has an impressive background in mentoring, including earning professional certifications from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City Center for Training and Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service: Skills to Mentor Youth and Mentoring Supervision. She has worked with organizations including聽, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.鈥檚 Leadership Development Institute, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, and the Southern Scholars Initiative, guiding their mentoring efforts.

For Dr. West, the evening is an opportunity to celebrate mentor and mentee pairs. 鈥淚 will always invite current participants in the program and past participants to talk about their experiences and what mentoring meant to them, and how they have impacted each other,鈥� she said.

Jovia Financial Credit Union Joins the Mentoring Mission

Jovia Financial Credit Union began聽underwriting the Adelphi mentoring program in 2023. 鈥淛ovia was very pleased with the evidence-based practices and culturally responsive approach to our mentoring work and the structure of the program, and they became the sponsors of it to ensure that this work could continue into the future,鈥� Dr. West said.

Peter Purpura ’08, vice president of business development at Jovia, welcomed participants to the celebration, and shared his own belief in the power of mentoring. In his remarks, he challenged everyone in the audience to bring聽more mentoring into their lives鈥攂oth to mentor and to be mentored by others.

Representatives from also聽joined the celebration, to recognize the Long Island chapter of Girls Inc. executive director鈥檚 award.

How Dr. West Pairs Mentors with Mentees

Program mentors and mentees were central to the celebration. Melinda Neus, senior assistant director of events at Adelphi, introduced her mentee, neuroscience major Wensha Noel. Both are first-generation Haitian and connected culturally as a mentoring pair.

Dr. West noted that pairing a student with someone who would invest in their future, identify with their career choices and could help them understand how to move forward鈥攅ven through times when they聽were dealing with uncertainty鈥攊s critical to mentoring success. A basic connection, such as a cultural bond shared by Neus and Noel, can start a successful mentor and mentee relationship.

Keynote Speech from a Mentee Who Became a Mentor

The National Mentoring Month Celebration keynote speech came from Valencia Saint-Louis ’20, an Adelphi graduate and past program mentee. She pointed out that, in 2019, she participated in the Mentoring Month Celebration as a mentee.

Saint-Louis, now a strategic communications specialist and advocate for women鈥檚 wellness and empowerment, noted that 鈥渕entors help mentees see blind spots that may stand in the way of their success, which can turn into self-doubt.鈥� She has also discovered that mentors can have a lasting impact, as mentors become career colleagues through the years.

Showcasing the Success of Mentoring at Adelphi

Adelphi’s Mentoring Month Celebration, as an annual event, has an additional benefit that comes along with saluting the Adelphi program. It brings the program鈥檚 success in front of the University community, including students and even potential mentors who can see the opportunity the program offers.

鈥淚 think the attendees who were listening to the testimonials of the mentoring pairs felt the enthusiasm and sincerity among the mentoring pairs,鈥� Dr. West said. 鈥淭hey were very moved to know that the impact was felt so greatly, and you can see it in the room. You saw the smiles. You saw the heads nodding. It was such a welcomed evening of celebration.”

Dr. West added, 鈥淭his event is an excellent place for people to learn about the importance of mentoring, the power of mentoring. It is a testament to this good work鈥攎y life鈥檚 work.鈥�

2025 Honorees

Renee Flagler, Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Long Island

• Spirit Award (2025) for Remarkable Contributions to the Nonprofit聽Sector and Beyond
• Collaboration Award (2020) for Remarkable聽Mentoring聽as a Community Leader

Brooks Frederick, Adjunct Professor, Studio Art, 麻豆直播

• Appreciation Award for Contributions to聽Mentoring聽Future Generations of Artists in Social Justice

Anne M.聽Mungai, PhD, Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Graduate Studies, Professor of Education, 麻豆直播

• Trailblazer Award for Exemplary Leadership of the Faculty of Color Network

Melinda Neus, Senior Assistant Director of Events, 麻豆直播

• Certificate of Appreciation for the Testimonial聽Keynote Address

Joanna Templeton, Lead Editor and Senior Director of Content, 麻豆直播

• Mentoring Champion Award

Wensha Noel, Student Mentee, Senior, Neuroscience Major, 麻豆直播

• Certificate of Appreciation for the Testimonial聽Keynote Address

Valencia Saint-Louis ’20, Keynote Speaker, Strategic Communications Specialist, Advocate for Women’s Wellness and Empowerment

• Certificate of Recognition聽for Keynote Address