Mentoring Program Sets Middle School Students on the Path to College

A young woman leans over to help a middle school student.

FDU student mentors work with local eighth graders in the Pathways Mentoring Program. (Photo: Roy Groething)

By Kenna Caprio

November 11, 2024 — A little over three years ago, Liz Panuccio, FDU associate professor of criminal justice and interim associate dean of Becton College, pitched an idea to the college’s diversity and inclusion committee.

She proposed a partnership between the University and Garfield Middle School, a mentoring program where FDU students would connect with eighth graders.

A woman gives instructions to a young class.

Liz Panuccio, associate professor of criminal justice, leads a Pathways information session. (Photo: Roy Groething)

“The middle-school students visit the campuses six times throughout the year and participate in various social, academic and team-building activities with FDU student mentors,” says Panuccio. “These students work in small groups with their FDU student mentors on structured and semi-structured activities that are designed to help them build their social capital, their cultural capital and to develop their identities as college-bound students,” she says.

Panuccio developed the idea with her brother-in-law who teaches in Garfield, N.J.

Approximately 40 eighth-grade students have participated in the Pathways Mentoring Program each year over the past three years. They are nominated by their teachers.

“We show them that college is an achievable goal, and we help them build confidence in their academic abilities,” says junior and mentor Genevith Portorreal.

A faux crime scene is set up with police tape and evidence markers. A college student plays a corpse.

Eighth grade students conduct a mock investigation of a crime scene.

“Some of the eighth-grade students are being exposed to a university for the first time, so it’s important for them to see how diverse universities can be,” says Giselle Martinez, BA’24 (Metro), a mentor and graduate student studying psychology. “Personally, I see my younger self in these kids. As mentors, we are there to support their goals.”

The eighth-grade students participate in campus tours, career research and discussions, a college admissions talk, a crime scene investigation activity, a public speaking tutorial, a game day and a closing certificate ceremony.

“I’m a criminal justice major, so my favorite activity is the mock crime scene investigation. It’s fun for me to share what I know and it’s great to watch the students get involved with studying the case. They work together, think critically and learn in a hands-on way. It’s always a highlight,” says Portorreal.

The program also provides space for the young students to bond with their FDU mentors, ask them questions and express doubts or fears.

A male college student addresses a group of middle school students.

Suhaib Jawad, a senior government and politics major, was inspired by his grandfather to become a mentor. (Photo: Roy Groething)

“I learn so much from the middle-schoolers every time we meet,” says Suhaib Jawad, a mentor and senior government and politics major. “Mentorship can be integral to a person’s well-being.” Jawad says his grandfather was his mentor and that he aspires to be a “guiding light” like him.

Ultimately, the program is a way for FDU students and faculty to invest in the surrounding community and in the next generation of college students.

“My hope for the future is to continue this successful partnership with Garfield Middle School and also expand to other districts to provide this opportunity to a greater number of communities that are close to the campuses,” says Panuccio.

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