By Daniela Tineo Gomez
The A.I.M.S program (Achievement Initiative for Male Success) here at Kutztown University strives to be a valuable opportunity for young men, especially young men of color. This organization addresses the struggles men go through and provides a safe, supportive, and engaging family-like community for them to prosper and thrive.
Photo Credit: Jerry Schearer
A.I.M.S has a variety of initiatives aimed at helping students reach their full potential and cultivating male bonding. On Thursdays, they have their book club, where they are currently reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, as well as Thorough Thursdays, offering workshops and programs and giving members the opportunity to comfortably improve their leadership, communication, and presentation skills by presenting on a topic in front of the group.
A unique part of A.I.M.S is their excursions, which Advisor Bilal Salaam believes is extremely important because “you get to see a side of people that’s not in an academic setting,” and can get them into spaces outside of their comfort zone. One of their upcoming excursions on May 4th and 5th is a trip to “Egypt on the Potomac” in Washington D.C, exploring the culture and its relevance to D.C.
What really sets A.I.M.S apart are their sub-groups called “families”. During the interview process done before joining the organization, the young men choose from the list of families that they believe are the best fit for them. Each family has a different color that corresponds to a different mission and is led by a student, allowing for peer-to-peer mentoring and giving family chairs added responsibilities.
The Blue Family represents health and wellness, fitness and sports, and entertainment and leisure. The Orange Family represents performing arts, visual arts, media, and culture. The Green Family represents entrepreneurship, business and financial literacy, nature, and the STEM field. The Red Family represents social justice and education, law and policy, and religion and spirituality.
Family dinners take place every third Sunday of the month. They normally include a keynote speaker sharing their life and career experience, offering guidance, and providing information that many of these students would likely not have access to, otherwise. Among these speakers, there have been entrepreneurs, creative directors, and political leaders.
Coach Salaam recalls a memorable moment at the last family dinner where he really felt the impact, describing it as “almost a holy spirit” that moved through the room at one point in time. At this dinner, they had men ranging from 17 years old to 70 years old. Having all these generations of men in one room, especially men of color, is something one does not normally see. “You got to see the knowledge and wisdom of each generation which was profound to me and something that I really didn’t take lightly,” he expressed, “we had these deep, really enlightening conversations… and guys were able to be vulnerable and transparent and open.”
Hearing the stories of the impact A.I.M.S has had on these young men can be eye-opening for many.
Shavon Smith, member and Orange Family chair, joined A.I.M.S in his second semester during COVID when he was looking for community. He was inspired to get involved when he saw the work they were doing. He wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself, a sentiment many other members share.
Non-white men face a number of issues at PWIs (predominantly white institutions) and thus A.I.M.S has to fight its battles on a number of fronts. Sometimes, it’s just about making young men feel safe and trusted. Initially, Shavon had to try to carry himself in a certain way so as to not feel threatening, always aware of things like the way he spoke and wearing a hoodie, because “people see you and don’t know your intentions.” A.I.M.S provided a sense of security, being surrounded by people who know who he is. “You’re not just a face in the crowd anymore, you’re a part of A.I.M.S.”
