Over the years, the Black Student Union (BSU) at Madison College has evolved from only two people standing in the cafeteria handing out flyers trying to recruit students to a fairly well-known and good-sized club.

In the beginning, the BSU did not even have a room to meet in, and now they hold panels and volunteer in the community, all because students who are committed to making it better.

When Elizabeth Creech, the current BSU vice-president, came to Madison College, she felt that the BSU was “un-welcoming” and “not very receptive,” so she joined, and told members how they were coming across.

“You guys don’t have that kind of community, and I would like to make it so that we do have that kind of community,” she says.

Creech is not an anomaly. All the members of the BSU are dedicated to growing and improving the BSU. Part of that is reaching out to the larger community. While creating an inclusive environment at Madison College is a priority, the BSU knows that it is also important to reach beyond campus. That is why the group is starting a mentoring program with local middle schools.

“We are mentoring students there as kind of a tribute to ourselves,” says Sedgwick Smith Jr., the current president of the BSU.

Growing up, Smith, like many members of the BSU, did not have many black role models besides his parents. There were no successful black college students, or even teachers, he could look up to. Many BSU members did not have a black teacher until they came to Madison College.

The BSU wants to give kids the black role model they never had growing up. “I know if I was a little kid and somebody came to sit down with me and spent time mentoring and telling me what I could do and that I can – it’s pretty big,” says Viola Miller, a BSU advisor.

“You get a role model that has experienced the same things as you, been through the same things as you … and isn’t your teacher or parent,” Smith says.

“It makes a difference,” Miller states.

As a testament to their members’ devotion, the mentoring program has gone from just an idea to a reality in only a semester. And while the BSU has quickly expanded both their membership and their reach, members are steadfast in their desire for more.

“I want Madison College’s BSU to mirror that of a four-year institution,” Smith declared.

For the BSU, that is not just a dream, it is something all the members are dedicated to making happen.

The BSU meets every Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in Truax Room D2637.