This fall two Lamar University Reaud Honors College students are getting a new title – director.

Carlos Caballero and Casey Smith will both serve local nonprofit organizations as members of the board of directors. The students were trained for service and matched with the nonprofits through a leadership program the Reaud Honors College launched in the spring of 2017, called “Stepping Up.”

In partnership with the Southeast Texas Nonprofit Development Center, a leading service provider for nonprofit organizations in Southeast Texas, the Reaud Honors College prepares students for service and introduces them to area nonprofits.

“Our mission statement is to integrate academic excellence, community involvement and civic leadership,” said Kevin Dodson, dean of the Reaud Honors College. “We encourage students to take leadership roles and get involved, so this program is a good fit.”

Deborah Drago, executive director of Southeast Texas Nonprofit Development, instructs introduced students about how to work within a nonprofit organization.

“We provide the training, teaching what it means to be a nonprofit, the roles and responsibilities of serving on a board and what it means to become a servant leader,” said Drago.

After students attend training they are then introduced to nonprofits who are looking for additional volunteers.

“We host an event that is similar to speed dating,” said Drago. “Students get five or six minutes with each nonprofit to share information and gauge their interests.”

Drago said students and nonprofits then rank their level of interests in one another and are paired based on the feedback. After being matched, students attend their first board meeting. “I serve as a liaison and attend the first board meeting with the student to make sure it all goes smoothly,” said Drago.  

The first year of Stepping Up, seven students served as ex officio, nonvoting members of nonprofit organizations. The program had a rough 2018 due to Tropical Storm Harvey. However,  in spring 2019, 12 students were placed on nonprofit boards, and Caballero and Smith were voted on as full board members with rights to vote.

Caballero, who graduated spring 2019, will serve as a board member of Building Bridges of Hope: The Community Coalition. Casey Smith, a senior double major in business management and human resource management will graduate May 2020. While finishing his last year at LU, he’ll serve as a full board member of the Beaumont Heritage Society.

“I wanted to learn more about Beaumont’s history, so I chose the Beaumont Heritage Society and was placed with them back in May 2017,” said Smith. “It has been a great experience. I've learned how boards work, how to read several financial reports and formed many great friendships.”

Drago says the partnership with Lamar University is a win-win. “It’s really a mutually beneficial program,” said Drago. “We’re providing goal, civic-minded leaders, helping the nonprofits build their volunteer base and gain bright, enthusiastic people with different skills sets, while also placing representatives of Lamar University in the community.”

Dodson believes the program will benefit the community for generations to come. “Our hope is that when students graduate from Lamar University and become professionals, they will continue to play leadership roles and their involvement will increase.”