Pride Student Union is working on a mentorship program in the fall for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students.
The main goal of the program is to get students acquainted with Gainesville and the LGBTQ community, said Donnie Fields, the PSU president.
The concept is twofold. The first part involves educational lessons between mentors and mentees.
The mentors will be trained to inform mentees about the LGBTQ community on campus and in Gainesville and answer any questions individuals may have. The second part works to create social events and bonding experiences.
It is a natural progression for students to want to join PSU, Fields said.
He is hoping to spark interest in about 30 to 45 new students through the mentorship program.
“We are learning how to reach out to students earlier, and the mentorship program is a huge step in that direction,” Fields said.
There is a whole area of art, film and drag that mentors can help mentees find throughout the Gainesville community, he said.
Thirteen mentors have already been selected.
Annie Horneland, an 18-year-old exploratory major, was selected to become a mentor.
Horneland wants new students to understand that being gay in college is different from being gay in high school.
The mentor program gives freshmen a place to turn for stability and resources, she said.
The mentors will be able to show mentees where to find other gays, help students who are questioning their orientation and provide students with someone to talk to about their concerns.
