Office of Culture & Success

Culture and Success Leadership and Mentoring Program

The Culture and Success Leadership and Mentoring Program (LMP) helps freshmen during the transition to college. Building on a cascading mentorship model and peer mentoring specifically, it promotes engagement and development through community. These are keys to retention, success, and well-being.

Through structured workshops, mentoring sessions, and community-building experiences, students develop practical skills that position them for success both inside and outside the classroom. Some of the topics include crafting a compelling elevator pitch, strengthening study skills, mastering time management, handling stress, and building professional confidence. With continued engagement and employment opportunities for upper-level students, LMP also creates a leadership pipeline that fosters ongoing personal, professional, and peer development.

Meet the Mentees

Anika Vukasinovich

Major: Finance

Minor: International Business

Hometown: Dayton, OH

“I knew that every Friday, if I had a question, I wasn’t intimidated to ask it. I had a safe place to go. I didn’t know anybody when I first came here, so I was really nervous to make friends, but then my pod was really helpful. I still talk to them today, and it’s cool seeing each other in leadership positions all across different parts of Culverhouse.”

Demetri Griego

Major: Economics

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV

“LMP benefited me a lot being a freshman. My mentor, Tyler, helped me with decision making on what classes to take and the LMP sessions on Friday build a strong foundation for starting off and learning things at the University. I would recommend it because it helped my experience here a lot, and the consistency of sessions motivated me to go to class since GBA was right after, and my professor was also involved in the program. It really helped me build strong relationships.”

Faith Oden

Major: Accounting

Hometown: Birmingham, AL

“The program helped me a lot, especially with the mentor aspect because I get to hear from mentors. My first mentor being Gabby and Natalie now, she helps me with networking, and she highlights her experiences with internships. She gives me insight into what jobs can look like in the field that I may be interested in. I really enjoyed the panels on Fridays because it is really nice being in an environment where people want you to succeed. It helps put you out there as a student across Culverhouse.”

Jaylen Rice

Majors: Finance and Economics

Hometown: Madison, AL

“Having a mentor has helped me, and it’s like having a friend at the same time. I can go to Prince if I need anything and we don’t only have to talk about school; we can talk about anything. I know that tutoring helped a lot of students although I did not need them. I enjoyed having check-ins and the overall sense of community, and seeing the students outside of check-in is nice because you know them.”