In 1998, James T. Jackson, Sr. (JJ) created the Students of Color Mentoring, Aiding, Retaining, and Teaching (SMART) Program. With only 260 students of color on campus at the time, he wanted to provide social, cultural, and academic support to first-year students of color living in the residence halls at BGSU. With the goal of ultimately improving their retention rates and increasing the number of African-American and Latino graduates.

The 25th Anniversary celebration of SMART will allow alumni, students, and current/former staff to connect and fellowship. There will be anecdotes from the current and former coordinators of the program, along with current and former participants and staff who have submitted videos for our "SMART Through the Years'' presentation. Guests will be encouraged to discuss their involvement in the program, the impact of the SMART program, and what they wish for SMART in the future. Light refreshments will be provided along with 25th Anniversary SMART memorabilia.

For further information, contact James Kearney (kearjam@bgsu.edu) and Joshua Moore (moorejl@bgsu.edu).