African American Male Students Mentoring Project is designed to improve the quality of life while synchronously enhancing and advancing the educational opportunities of African American male students of Bakersfield College. The collective GPA was a disappointing 1.61 between all the black students when the project was initially created. Low productivity was such a problem that the campus allowed the first all-race group to be established as its own.

History professor Ishmael Kimbrough is an African American planner/facilitator for the program and has a positive outlook on the situation. Although there are various reasons why he feels the African American students of Bakersfield College are failing he is optimistic about change. Kimbrough says students usually come from challenging homes and communities with little to no support or confidence to succeed. He personally wanted to get involved due to the fact that he had so many African students in his class and felt he could make a difference outside the class room as well.

It’s not every day you run into someone who still feels like there or no dumb questions because what you don’t know can hurt you. Jason Powell is a sophomore from Compton California who was maintaining a “C” average before AAMP and has since raised it to a “B” average. The direction of AAMP is headed down a positive road he stated and has helped me improve time management skills, studying skills effective note taking as well as navigate the campus. AAMP “made me fearless” off campus Powell said and “Im not afraid to go out there and get it.”

Being from a troubled community Powell use to have a social barrier stopping him from interacting with others not like him and now feels like that bridged gap is being closed. He now feels comfortable outside his true elements and confident he can represent the organization properly. Being proactive in the community and on campus is a key focus for Powell.

“On a scale of one through ten I am an eleven” Powell answered when asked how fit of a leader he was. Although he feels he can be more assertive and set better examples he is still considered one of the faces to lead the students in the program.

“The fact that I have experienced so much pain from the struggle has helped me to cope in ways I couldn’t before” and has allowed me to handle situations in a better fashion. Majoring in criminal justice with a career plan to be some type of federal agent Powell must be level headed and know how to react in real life situations.

Coach Reggie Bolton, project advisor has taken a great deal of responsibility and volunteers a good portion of his time to the African American males on campus. To Bolton “your degree is the ticket in the dance.” He is confident that he can help all students apart of the project to the resources they need. “Education is extremely important it increases the opportunities you have to succeed.”