Program giving men and women of color at Franklin College an extra platform

FRANKLIN — The Brother to Brother and Sister to Sister programs at Franklin College gives men and women of color an extra platform to have future success after they graduate.

“These programs give them a chance to work on their resumes and learn how to dress,” Maegan Pollonais, D.A., director of Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Franklin College, said.

“So I decided let’s try to revitalize this and take it more into the realm of a black men initiative for retention and academic and social and physical and social success,” Ernest C. Evans, director of Student Involvement and Greek Life at Franklin College.

Ernest and Megan are two of the leaders of the programs. The two have been working to revitalize the program for three months.

"What does it look like to be a man of color in a position of leadership position?" Evans asked.

The program focuses on the mental, physical and emotional growth and development of men and women of color at Franklin College.

“Knowing your elevator pitch - knowing that you can say who you are in ten minutes and somebody has an exact example of who you are and what your skills are,” Pollonais added.

Skills that people like Andre Harlan will use once when he graduates.

“My goal is to give back to my people to give an outlook a different take on how we are presented,” Harlan said.

Harlan is a sophomore at Franklin College. He’s a communication major as well as a defensive back on the football team and one of the vital members of the Brother to Brother program.

“I want to be a motivator speaker, that's my goal. I want to help everybody. I’m here to motivate people and say that you can do it too,” Harlan concluded.