This week, SisterMentors traveled to Oberlin as part of their spring break college visit program. SisterMentors is a nonprofit that supports girls of color from low-income families through mentorship from women of color who are doctoral students. The founder of SisterMentors, Dr. Shireen Lewis, worked with President Carmen Twillie Ambar to bring the girls to campus and immerse them in various activities and programming. 

“In the fall of 1997, four of us — four Black women who were doctoral students — came together,” Lewis said. “We were all struggling with our dissertations and wanted to support one another. And from there, it just kept growing. We never advertised; people heard about us through word of mouth. Once we realized the impact we were having, not just on ourselves but on others, we decided to give back by mentoring girls of color from low-income families, many of whom were the first in their families to go to college. We wanted to help prepare them for college admission, and that’s how SisterMentors started.”

The program was originally based at a bookstore called Sisterspace and Books in Washington, D.C. The bookstore featured books by and about Black women and was run by two Black women. In the 2000s, however, the program secured a space at a law firm, as Lewis’ background in law allowed them to reside in the space for free. This allowed more office space for outreach to girls from Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. 

“I think it could be characterized as an after-school program,”  Lewis said. “The girls officially meet with their mentors once a month, though many of the mentors and mentees connect more frequently throughout the month. We have a schedule planned well in advance, so everyone knows when those monthly meetings will happen.”

Teachers and school counselors are the main contact points when recruiting for the program, since the school faculty are the closest to the girls and can recommend them as a good fit. The program prioritizes its resources for girls of color coming from low-income families, as those families potentially cannot afford opportunities such as college visits or social and leadership workshops. 

“I knew I was supposed to go to college, but I had no idea what the process was like, the financial side of it, and what I would look like on a college campus,” Arsema Ghirmai, a SisterMentors alum and member of the organization, said. “But Dr. Lewis took us on a day trip to colleges like [the University of Virginia] and [the University of Maryland], and by the time I was done, I felt a new sense of confidence.”

The girls arrived in Oberlin on Monday and attended different campus programs and activities. From attending a dance class taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance and Africana Studies Talawa Presto to touring the College Archives and the Shanks Health and Wellness Center, the group saw different parts of campus life. Lewis and the Office of the President, when planning the itinerary for the group, prioritized spaces and events that showcased women of color navigating college life.  

“What’s so powerful to me is that some of the girls coming to campus [are] as young as 11,” President Ambar said. “They’re still years away from college, but they’ll get to see people who look like them, students doing things they may have never imagined. For that 13-year-old, college will look like Oberlin. It will look like the woman of color who stood up and spoke to them. And that’s the power of real representation and mentorship. When you can see it, that might be the very thing that makes you say, ‘Oh, of course I can do this.’” 

The group met faculty from the Africana Studies program, visited the Latinx Heritage House, also known as Zechiel House, and met with students in different identity organizations such as the Black Student-Athlete Group and ABUSUA. The girls also met with newspaper staff at the office of The Oberlin Review. 

“I saw myself in those girls,” Sydney Banks, College third-year and chair of ABUSUA, said. “When I was their age, I didn’t know places like this existed — where Black women are leading, thriving, and pouring into each other. Being able to welcome them here felt like I was reaching back to my younger self and saying, ‘You’re gonna make it, and there’s room for you here.’”

A study conducted in 2022 found that Black women earned approximately 3 percent of doctoral degrees awarded in the U.S., which is significantly lower than their population share. Part of this program is not just to encourage women of color to pursue higher education, but also to create spaces for conversations about what it means to be navigating majority white spaces, which doctoral programs commonly are. This is done through the mentorship aspect and trips, where they engage in conversations about race in educational spaces. 

“I remember being 13 years old, and the mentors were discussing the politics of having textured hair in the workplace and how it affects how they’re perceived and whether they’re taken seriously,” Yessica Ayala Bonilla, alum and board member of SisterMentors, said. “At the time, I was self-conscious about my frizzy, curly hair and tried to straighten it, thinking it wasn’t professional enough. But there they were, having a conversation about how textured hair shouldn’t be a barrier. I was so surprised. These are the kinds of discussions I never had in my regular education. I was having conversations with my mentors about things I wouldn’t hear about until college.”

The entirety of the program, including this trip and any other activity, cost nothing for the girls. Fundraising is done in the fall to ensure that the program is as accessible as possible for any mentor or mentee. 

“Seeing the behind-the-scenes of how things are done has been eye-opening,” Ghirmai said. “I always wondered how we never had to pay for anything — whether it was food, transportation, or these college visits. I never knew the planning or financial process behind all of it, or who was involved in making it happen. … All the hard work and planning that goes into it is incredible.” 

Taking time to educate students about the history of Oberlin, especially its legacy of Black alumni, was also an essential part of programming. Students on the way to Oberlin received a folder with information on President Ambar, the history of Oberlin, and other facts that would help them get to know the campus before arrival.  

“Every girl in our program has a red folder,” Bonilla said. “It’s something we really emphasize. They have to carry it with them everywhere and make sure they read everything in it. Having these materials in their folders actually sparked a conversation on the bus with one of the girls about what an abolitionist is. It’s those kinds of discussions that we really value.”

Thursday morning, the girls met with President Ambar before heading back to Washington, D.C. There, they were able to discuss their time at Oberlin and reflect on what they enjoyed. President Ambar spent an hour and half speaking about her profession and engaged in discussion and questions on various topics. In her interview, President Ambar spoke about the importance of having nonprofits like SisterMentor thrive and the excitement she felt at having them visit Oberlin. 

“I think programs like this are the kind of infrastructure building we need to see nationwide,” President Ambar said. “It often starts in small communities with visionaries like Shireen, who are doing their part to help students see themselves differently. By the time students like these arrive at places like Oberlin, someone’s already planted the seed. What we need is more people doing that work — so when they get here, they’re ready to take the world by storm.”

SisterMentors will continue working with the girls throughout their educational experience. The organization has helped over 100 women earn higher educational degrees, including doctorates in math, science, and economics. In that same vein, since its founding, the organization has impacted countless people and pushed them into careers such as professors, nonprofit leaders, government workers, or executives. 

“I am incredibly privileged to witness this,” Lewis said. “The girls are so inspiring to me. I’m so proud of her and all of them. And the women mentors — let me tell you, they volunteer their time despite the many demands on their lives. These are women working on doctorates in fields like science and humanities, often with jobs and families. Yet, they willingly and happily give their time to support these girls.”