Six Southwestern Michigan College students are participating as mentors this semester through Dowagiac Middle School’s “Five Star Life” after-school program.

The program helps students fulfill potential by connecting to a community volunteer and committing to core values such as respect, responsibility, sacrifice and courage.

SMC student Kyron Harris, from Michigan City, Indiana has been a counselor for nearly three years. Harris is a pre-med student who wants to be an obstetrician/gynecologist.

“I get to help them grow academically to achieve better grades,” Harris said. “It’s a really good program for kids to step outside of their comfort zones and to learn to take leadership.”

Dowagiac’s Carlee Recla, who graduated from Niles High School, recently changed majors from social work to secondary education.

That switch is “kind of” related to the coaching she signed on for Sept. 13 at Campus Bash.

“I’ve always loved English,” she said. “Now I’m getting into the groove of helping them with their grades.”

Audrianna Leer, of Edwardsburg, studying elementary education, participated in Five Star from sixth- to eighth-grade at Discovery Middle School in Granger, Indiana. Leer plans to transfer to Texas for her last two years of college.

“I love this program and what it does for kids,” Leer said of the 94 students enrolled. “I hope I can be that coach here for someone who needs it.”

Leer said she three aunts teach and  wasn’t initially planning on signing up at Campus Bash.

“I have a vision of teaching kids on a military base outside the United States because I grew up around that when my dad was in the military. I think I can connect with them possibly more than teaching in a regular school,” said Leer.

Leer said she learned that seven thousand students drop out of school a day.

“They drop out in high school, but check out in middle school,” she said.

Samantha Dunn from Tekonsha, near Battle Creek, knew Harris from camp counseling.

Sam said she was drawn to Five Star at Campus Bash talking to Coach Pat O’Keefe.

“It’s nice I can help kids academically because I wasn’t a very good student in high school. I’m here to study sports management. I want to be an athletic director,” Dunn said.

Different values are highlighted from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. each Thursday,

Last week was courage, this week integrity, reinforced by energizing music and uplifting rhetoric.

On Nov. 2 the program began fundraising for summer camp at 300-acre Summit, the leadership training facility with horseback riding, fishing and boating in Cass County’s Union.

Five Star, founded 12 years ago in Elkhart, Indiana will celebrate five years in Dowagiac in January.

The current eight-week season concludes Dec. 7 with awards night.

President/Executive Director Seth Maust said area schools involved in the program. There is also a video curriculum of 25 schools implement reaching 10,000 students weekly.

“This is a very strong program, which is why we’re equipping them to run it,” Maust said.

“Nobody knows Dowagiac students like Dowagiac people. The relationship between Southwestern Michigan College and the program here is coming together.”

Maust, a former college basketball player, coached at the high school level and served as a church youth director for six years.

“I saw so many kids slipping through the cracks,” Maust said.

Eighty percent of first-time drug abuse happens ages 10 to 14 between 3 to 6 p.m. Eighty-five percent of juvenile crime occurs from 2 to 7 p.m.

Southwestern Michigan College is a public, residential and commuter, community college, founded in 1964. The college averages in the top 10 percent nationally for student academic success based upon the National Community College Benchmark Project. Southwestern Michigan College strives to be the college of first choice, to provide the programs and services to meet the needs of students, and to serve our community. The college is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the American Association of Community Colleges.

For more information, visit swmich.edu or email mediarelations@swmich.edu.