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Mission and Objectives

Rising Brothers and Sisters, a mentorship program of Point Park University's Rowland School of Business, seeks to increase representation of successful professionals of color on Point Park's campus and in high schools by providing students with small group support systems and programming focused on academic preparedness, career readiness and character development. With generous support from Dollar Bank and the Buhl Foundation, our program aims to empower students of color in the greater Pittsburgh region to achieve academic, career and financial success. 

By extension, the program also hopes to increase:

  • The number of high school students of color attending college
  • The retention of students of color on Point Park's campus
  • Career placement of undergraduate and graduate Point Park students
  • The hiring of faculty and staff of color at Point Park

Point Park faculty and staff with expertise in student success, college literacy, financial aid, admissions, personal finance and leadership will provide workshops and videos to help high school students who plan on attending college, as well as undergraduate students who need academic and social support. Local professionals will also lend their expertise in a series of speaking events and videos. Learn more about the program in this feature story.

Get Involved

Students who wish to be involved in Rising Brothers and Sisters may fill out this interest form.

If you are a professional interested in being a guest speaker at a Rising Brothers and Sisters event, please complete this form.

Spectrum of Support

The Rising Brothers and Sisters program aims to provide customized, professional college-to-career support services to students of color in high school and at Point Park. The program hopes to build a Spectrum of Support, which will include:

Pictured are students and faculty at Perry High School for the Rising Brothers and Sisters end-of-year celebration. Submitted photo.
  Perry High School End-of-Year Certificate Celebration
  • Business professionals of color
    • Engage with high school students via videos focused on personal and academic success
    • Engage with Point Park students via our campus speaker series
  • Point Park students
    • Attend small academic and social support groups focused on study skills, literacy and time management
    • Help to organize, as well as attend, our Black Speaker Series and College Panel Series
  • High school students
    • Attend Point Park campus visits, tours and panel discussions designed by Point Park students
    • Attend small group discussions related to leadership and personal success at their partner schools

 

Pictured are students from Pittsburgh Allderdice with certificates from the Rising Brothers and Sisters program. Submitted photo.
  Pittsburgh Allderdice High School seniors 

School Partnerships

Three high schools have been adopted into the Rising Brothers and Sisters program for the 2022-23 academic year:

High school students will attend Point Park campus visits, as well as small group workshops at their schools. Students who attend Rising Brothers and Sisters programming are selected by teachers, administrators and guidance counselors. Students are also given the opportunity to earn transferable college credits from Point Park. 
 

Mitch-Nickols_800x800_Madi-Fisher.jpg
  Mitchel Nickols, Ph.D.

Contact Us

  • Mitchel Nickols, Ph.D.
    • Director, Rising Brothers and Sisters
    • Email: mnickols@pointpark.edu 
    • Phone: 724-396-0834
    • Office: 1108 West Penn Hall, Point Park University
  • Leslie Wessner
    • Administrative Assistant, Rising Brothers and Sisters
    • Email: lwessner@pointpark.edu
    • Office: 1302A West Penn Hall, Point Park University

Point Park Resources

Academic success is a leading component of the Rising Brothers and Sisters program and encourages students to connect with Point Park Tutoring Services, which provides professional and peer tutors for students who seek assistance in their coursework.

Point Park Tutoring Services offers both online and on-ground assistance. In addition, students may receive guidance with effective study strategies, such as organization, time management, note-taking techniques, and exam preparation. Students can access Point Park’s tutor-scheduling software through https://pointpark.mywconline.com. This system will allow students to schedule one-on-one tutoring appointments and to upload documents for review.

Visit the Tutoring Services webpage to learn more.

Other Resources