Collegiate 100 National Chapter of the Year

Armstrong Campus Members Focus on Service and Mentorship

Anthony Peters started college as a dual enrollment student in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. But early into his college career at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Peters decided he needed a change of scenery.

“I would have classes where there would be over 100 students,” Peters said. “Not only that but also because I was a dual enrollment student, I couldn’t get involved in extracurricular activities on campus. I came to the Armstrong Campus because I wanted that big school education on a smaller scale, and I wanted to start over and do my own thing.”

Doing his own thing meant focusing on academics and getting involved in campus activities. The computer science major joined several organizations including Collegiate 100. It is an outreach program of the Savannah chapter of the nationwide organization, 100 Black Men of America, which is considered the leading African American-led mentoring organization. The Armstrong chapter was established in 2009 as an initiative for Black men on campus to support the mission of improving the quality of life within communities and enhancing educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans.

“Since coming to the Armstrong Campus, I finally became my own person and I continue to grow every day,” said Peters, who is the president of Collegiate 100. “Academically I’ve been able to absorb more and see everything in the classroom through a different lens. Collegiate 100 has helped me the most and I enjoy being able to do so much with them and do great work around Savannah. It’s all about mentoring and community service, so I get the chance to do that and more because of it.”

In 2021, the group was named chapter of the year by the national organization. The Armstrong chapter was among two collegiate chapters nationwide to receive the honor.

“This is actually the second time that we’ve won chapter of the year,” said Fernando Foster, the group’s advisor, and a member of 100 Black Men of Savannah. “But this year was different,” added Foster, director of Georgia Southern University Enterprise Networking and Telecommunications for IT Services. “We were named chapter of the year because of the amount of involvement and resiliency that the members had despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic. Collegiate 100 is different from other organizations because it’s not about being seen, it’s not about the social aspect of things, even though that’s involved. The purpose of Collegiate 100 is the mission – the mission of community service and mentoring.”

Foster emphasized that members are expected to maintain a culture of excellence in all that they do.

“The mission of the Collegiate includes the phrase ‘to be a beacon of light,’ ” he said. “The motto for the 100 Black Men of America is ‘what they see is what they’ll be.’ Our belief is that our mentees gain more from our examples than our words. I expect that when the Collegiate are seen, they are seen doing the right thing, and doing it in the spirit of excellence. This expectation not only includes mentoring in the traditional sense, but it also includes mentoring our mentees and our peers through the example that we set.”

Chapter members are involved in service projects on- and off-campus. Their goal is to make a positive impact on youth in Savannah and to connect with students on the Armstrong Campus.

“All activities of Collegiate 100 are coordinated in compliance with the objectives of the sponsoring chapter as they relate to existing relationships with local schools and other entities that provide services to youth,” Peters explained. “We do this through different forms of community service such as volunteering for schools, book drives, mentoring youth in classrooms and outside the classroom, and getting involved with the 100 Black Men on various programs such as their Youth Leadership Academy. Of course, we will host fun events on campus such as our cookout, ball, pageant and everything in between.”

For funding, Collegiate 100 relies on the support of 100 Black Men of Savannah and annual events like the winter ball and annual pageant. Traditionally, the ball and pageant are face-to-face events, but the pandemic made it harder to stage them this past year. However, after successfully mentoring Savannah youth via Zoom, the campus-based group held virtual events and requested donations through them. The winter ball, a black-tie affair usually held in February, highlights the group and supporting organizations while having fun. Anyone on campus who buys a ticket is welcome to attend. The pageant is a scholarship competition that starts in January, but the actual competition day is in April. There are five categories for each young woman to display their personality and talents for a chance to win a scholarship.

When Collegiate 100 was chartered on the Armstrong Campus it was conceived as an organization for men. Women could join but they had to be inducted through the annual pageant and after serving a year on the court. Aleea Young, a junior from Sylvania, Georgia, is the current Miss Collegiate 100, and the by-laws recently changed so that women can join the same way that men do.

“As of 2021, this organization has deemed itself co-ed,” Young said. “Although I entered this organization via the pageant, I appreciate the executive board offering general membership to females, as there is a mission behind the Collegiate 100 that should not be limited to all males and three members of a pageant court.”

Young, a psychology major, has a passion for the group and for the Armstrong Campus.

“Being involved has helped me with my professional skills, gain social connections, obtain financial literacy information and even prioritize my mental health,” she said. “There are so many opportunities on campus to learn more about yourself and about people. I thank Armstrong as I am halfway through my Georgia Southern collegiate career. I feel so accomplished already and would not have been able to do this at any other campus.”

Peters, also a junior, said joining the organization has exceeded his expectations and he encouraged other students to connect with Collegiate 100.

“Be leaders,” he said. “Be somebody that brings a positive change to other people’s lives. If you can help a child or anybody in some capacity to do something great or positive with their life, it’s not only rewarding for them, but it’s also rewarding for you, too.”

Jason Nolton Jr., a mechanical engineering major from Atlanta, is the group’s parliamentarian. He said Georgia Southern and Collegiate 100 have given him a place to grow and develop into the leader he believes he was born to be.

“I always want to get involved in an organization that truly does its best in achieving and empowering everyone to pursue their goals while making the community a better place to be,” Nolton said. “I feel that Collegiate 100 really does that and it is meant for me.” — Sandra Bennett