What started as a campaign platform is now a reality for Keila Lacy, student vice president for student affairs.

News coverage of low minority retention rates in college nationally, and the fact that there are more young black males in jail than in college, has been addressed at Eastern with a system that would connect minority students with minority alumni, Lacy said.

“Uplift and Connection” is slated to begin within the next month and will allow current Eastern minority students to correspond and network through e-mail with minority alumni, Lacy said.

Lacy has been working with Mona Davenport, Eastern’s director of minority affairs, on the pen pal system, and student interest is already apparent, she said.

Lacy said she plans to run advertisements for the program, but expects the main source of student interest will come from word-of-mouth.

Eastern’s minority departments like the Office of Minority Affairs and the Gateway Program will also be asked to spread the word about the new program, Lacy said.

The idea behind “Uplift and Connection” is to give minority students an adult mentor outside of the college community that will have the same experiences as the student, and therefore will be able to help the student in whatever way necessary, she said.

Students will be paired with alumni that had similar majors, so a connection will already be established.

“One of the main groups the pen pal system will attempt to reach is first-generation college students, but all minority students can profit from the program,” Lacy said.

The most recent statistical studies show overall retention rate at Eastern is 78.3 percent, and minority student retention is 75.1 percent, said Kathy Childress of planning and institutional studies.

Even though the numbers are close, the ability of “Uplift and Connection” to provide minority students with a mentor that can share experiences and help in ways professors and advisers can’t is important, Lacy said.

“They (minority students) need a reason to stay in school, a reason to stay involved.”