The lives of children are impacted by the adults who give them guidance at an early age when, for whatever, reason the parents are not around. A mentor would be helpful to them in their development into adulthood, especially in Milwaukee, but nobody wants to become a mentor. Children are left without positive role models to look up to and without the proper guidance to make the right decisions in life.

Let's start off with the mentor relationship. The mentor is in no way, shape or form to take the place of a parent. The mentor is there to assist in the development of the child when the parent is not around in order to instill life lessons in order to guide the child toward excellence. The Milwaukee Public School system has one of the worst graduation and retention rates in the country, according to an April 2006 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A major problem with that is the lack of viable mentors for children at an early age.

The lack of attention given to the youth leads to them going down the wrong path in life, especially young black males. Black males are being jailed at an incredibly high rate and at young ages. Along with other mitigating factors, the lack of positive role models in the form of mentors is one of them. If there were more black men looking to become mentors to younger black males, then I feel you would see a decrease in the number of black males going to prison and an increase in the number graduating high school and moving on to college.

I know you are wondering, what does this have to do with Marquette? The answer is, everything.

Months back we saw that very few males were volunteering to become mentors in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. That is simply unacceptable at a university with plenty of positive male role models. A mentor program such as the Milwaukee-based New Beginnings Are Possible would be a perfect opportunity for males at Marquette to help their younger counterparts.

This partnership, started by Marquette's Black Student Council last year, allows men and women to volunteer at a Christian youth center for only two hours a week and to be mentors to predominantly black youth. These kids come from disadvantaged backgrounds and for some, it may be the first time they interact with someone close to their age who is in college. It is time for the males at Marquette to stop being lazy and become a mentor to someone who is in desperate need of one.

The hopelessness and despair that many children face will not be wiped away by simply becoming a mentor. Lack of health care, disproportionately funded public schools and heartless capitalism will continue to haunt the lives of many of children without access to resources in society. A lack of access created by historic policies place the children of the wealthy above all others.

From a young age, children already have limits placed on what they can do in life. The purpose of mentoring is to let children know despite the hardships they face, there is hope.

Hope can go a long way in inspiring a child to not give up on life and belief that maybe, just maybe, they can be something. The little time that is spent mentoring a child can leave a lasting impression on them that lasts a lifetime. The relationship can also help the mentor in giving them the opportunity to learn from those they mentor and help them possibly devote a life to service. All that I am asking Marquette, Milwaukee and the whole world is to give these kids that chance.