Program Overview

Brothers for Excellence (B4E) is a yearlong mentorship program designed for first-year undergraduate and transfer students that identify as Mxn* of Color. The program is inclusive of cisgender & transgender men, gender non-conforming individuals, and masculine/feminine of leaning/centered individuals. Students are matched with two mentors, one faculty or staff member and one peer leader that identify as Mxn of Color. The program assists Mxn of Color in creating a foundation on Loyola's campus through: opportunities for leadership and personal identity development, connecting students to university-wide resources and people, creating unity among participants, and ultimately supporting the educational and personal success of Mxn of Color.

B4E Mentees have the opportunity to:

• Be matched with a peer mentor and staff or faculty mentor throughout their first year at Loyola. All mentors are past mentees of B4E and/or staff and faculty with significant institutional knowledge and understanding of resources.

• Engage in 1:1 monthly meetings with their mentors to build community, identify supports and resources, and engage in identity development.

• Participate in monthly engagements with the B4E/MoC community centering identity development, social justice based dialogues, resources and supports, as well as topics of interest related to the student experience.

• Attend the annual overnight off-campus B4E Retreat.

• Be eligible to participate in the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Program in the spring semester and engage in activities to enhance transformative leadership skills.

• Be a part of the greater CDI community!

Students who self- identify with all of the following backgrounds are eligible to join B4E:

• Student of Color (i.e., African American/Black, Arab American, Asian/ American, Latino/a/x, Middle Eastern, Native American, Pacific Islander, or Multiracial students)

• Mxn (i.e., cisgender & transgender men, gender non-conforming individuals, masculine/feminine of leaning/centered individual)

• First-year and first time transfer student at Loyola University Chicago. Transfer students are encouraged to apply.

There is no fee to join the B4E program. For questions, please email Cristian Noriega at cnoriegasagastume@luc.edu 

*The Brothers for Excellence mentoring program and community uses the term Mxn of Color to be inclusive of all those that identify along the vast spectrum of manhood. (i.e., cisgender & transgender men, gender non-conforming individuals, masculine/feminine of leaning/centered individual)