Three Reasons to Sign Up for RISE
Students speak to each other at the 2022 RISE Retreat at Chatham University.
Karinne Barrett ’26 remembers coming to Chatham University as a first-year student two years ago. Knowing she was entering a predominantly white institution, Barrett, who’s African American, was anxious about racial tension.
“That’s what I went through my last few years of high school, and that was really hard,” said Barrett, who majors in human biology. “I wanted to be reserved. I didn’t want to go through that again.”
But those fears started to change when she attended the RISE (Retain, Involve, Strengthen, Excel) retreat at Chatham, where she met mentors and other students of color.
“Coming from environments where I felt like I did not belong because of my ethnicity, being a part of this retreat that celebrates myself fully—that got my attention,” she said. “Experiencing it and coming back to help other people is why the program was so great.”
For students of color coming to Chatham, the RISE retreat Aug. 19-20 offers opportunities to meet people, establish support networks, and develop friendships that could last throughout college and beyond. Here are a few reasons to sign up for RISE before the Aug. 5 deadline:
Mentorship
Incoming students are introduced to mentors. Bennett Spencer ’25, who attended RISE during her first year, said her mentor helped with her transition to college.
“The relationship was very casual,” said Spencer. “It was kind of like an older sister, which was nice to have on campus, someone who was there to look out for me if I had any questions.”
This spring, Spencer applied to be a mentor because of how positive her first-year experience was.
“My mentor was always there to support me when needed,” she said. “Even now, she’ll still send me job and internship opportunities.”
Meeting Students Who Look and Think Like You
For Madison Stokes ’26, who’s also a RISE mentor, connecting with likeminded students is the biggest part of the program.
“I know the first thing people may go to is that it’s students who ‘look like you,’” said Stokes. “Yes, I agree it was powerful to see all the different cultures and backgrounds on campus. But these are also students who are academically driven. They have aspirations and goals, and it was encouraging to see that, especially in the RISE space.”
“They’re relationships built on us having an understanding of where everyone is coming from,” Spencer said. “There’s people, friends, that I still maintain contact with and see.”
The RISE Retreat
The RISE Retreat happens on Aug. 19 and 20, just before New Student Orientation begins on Aug. 21. At the retreat, students of color meet their mentors, interact with each other, and play games, among other things.
“RISE was intentionally looking to connect people of color. There was space to have hard conversations and be honest about what we were experiencing,” said Barrett.
She remembers having a workshop where students shared their experience as Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. “We were talking about how we can be there for each other and best support each other, as a community.”
There was also a team-building session, Stokes recalled, and activities to help people find other students with similar interests. It’s also where she met Barrett, who’s remained a friend and colleague in other student groups.
“There was a lot of connection there, and it pretty much all started during our first semester of our first year,” Stokes said.
Students have until Aug. 5 to sign up for the RISE Retreat, which occurs Aug. 19-20. All students of color are encouraged to apply and take part in the mentorship, community building, and identity development offered by the program.