Terrence Ferguson: Preparing Boys to Become Men

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Terrence knew immediately when he got to Xavier that it was the place for him.

"I wanted to find a place with high connections with community and altruism, and when I set foot on Xavier's campus, I knew this was it," he says.

"It was the community aspect. There's a commitment to developing the entire person but also a commitment to the surrounding community, and the Community Engaged Fellowship really appealed to me."

Terrence had helped tutor and mentor children during high school and realized he could keep doing that as a Service Fellow. He sees service as a supplement to his education and the scholarship as a chance to be part of a program "where students help each other learn about socio-economic and social justice issues such that each person benefits by learning from each other and develops collective passion for the community."

His favorite service site is Evanston Academy, where he co-leads the Boys II Men after-school program for third- to sixth-grade boys. He coordinates student volunteers three days a week for tutoring and mentoring activities.

Their mission: "To prepare young boys to become men through instilling morals and values toward academic excellence in order to give back to community."

One of his favorite activities was the day they used whipped cream and spoons to teach the boys about shaving. The activity grew out of his experience learning about gang prevention on an Alternative Breaks trip to Milwaukee. The boys loved it-both the shaving and the eating.

"We wanted to instill in them the fact that growing up is not perfect for everybody, and I think shaving is something that some of them have no male role models to teach them."

Terrence says he does not feel complete if he's not doing some form of service. But he says it's even more important that they are role models for each other.

"Service Fellows are knowledgeable about social justice issues and help lead our fellow Xavier students to be more aware of the surrounding community," he says. "We have much to learn as Service Fellows, but we take a collaborative approach to work with other students and share our passion with them."