A University of New Mexico (UNM) mentorship program for Black student athletes is being revamped for the fall semester.
ZEAL, which stands for Zest for Excellence in Athletics and Learning, is a mentorship program based in African American Student Services. ZEAL pairs student athletes with mentors from the community and teaches skills like interviewing for jobs, communicating with professors and time management.
Although it started in 2007, ZEAL began to dwindle in the last several years, according to Devon Williams, the program’s lead coordinator.
But for the last six months, Williams has been working with African American Student Services director William Scott Carreathers, along with previous mentors in the program, to rebuild it.
“The majority of the individuals who went through the program in the past, they were able to graduate and they usually had really concrete degrees. So once they were done playing sports they were able to really dive into what they want to do and their interests,” Williams said.
The program pairs former athletes, who have their doctorates or are well into their career, with student athletes who seem at risk – meaning undergraduate students who have issues with their family and may be having difficulty adjusting to Albuquerque.
“A lot of these athletes come from low-income or poverty stricken communities, or they come from schools that don’t have necessarily the best resources to succeed in higher education or in college,” Williams said. “This program teaches these athletes how to navigate through college, to help them figure out what they’re interested in, help mold them into qualified young men and women so whenever they graduate and get into their career they know exactly what to expect.”
