by Paula J. Baughn

Arlet Wright believes in an open-door policy—literally.

Her peers and the hundreds of students she has befriended in her more than 10 years at CWRU said that accessibility is one of the many things that makes Wright such a great mentor.

Arlet Wright

Often, Wright will make the time to talk to a student in need, even if it means she has to work through her lunch, stay late or come in on the weekend to finish a project.

"If my office door is open and I'm not busy, come in and we'll talk, get to know each other," she said.

Wright, program coordinator in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, has been selected from among 30 nominees as the first recipient of the J. Bruce Jackson, M.D., Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring.

"There is so much that I can say about Arlet Wright because she has made a long lasting impression on my life," wrote ReShaundra Suggs, a CWRU senior who nominated Wright for the award. "She has motivated me in times of struggle and challenge, she has been a shoulder to lean on in times that I needed comfort, but most of all she has always been there to offer great words of wisdom no matter what I was facing in my life."

The Jackson award, which recognizes the outstanding advising and mentoring of undergraduate students by a CWRU current or emeritus faculty or staff member, comes with a plaque and $2,000.

Wright was recognized at commencement alongside recipients of the Carl F. Wittke Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching.

"I was so excited when I first heard the news," Wright said, "and I felt so honored to have been chosen among all the many nominees."

A self-described "people person," Wright said talking to all age groups comes easy for her. But, sometimes, with students in particular, it is often more important for mentors to open their ears rather than their mouths.

"I'm also very observant and listen a lot. I mean I really listen," she said.

CWRU students aren't the only ones touched by Wright's talents.

"Arlet's greatest gift is in her outreach to students," said Colleen Barker-Williamson, director of Thwing Center for student activities. "Mentoring is only one outcome of the relationship she has with students. She reaches deeply into their souls and impacts them forever. She treats them with respect and always challenges them as she advises them or simply converses with them. This proves to the student that she listens—really listens to what they are saying. I learned to do this from her. She continues to mentor me every day."

In addition to listening, Wright said she believes good mentors let students come to their own conclusions.

"To get the most out of students, you have to probe," she said. "Usually, students have the answers already. They just need someone to ask them the right questions."

"The great thing about Arlet is that she does not use her personal opinion to direct your path. She challenges you to think and examine all possibilities and outcomes of a situation, and then helps guide and direct you in your decision," Suggs wrote.

No matter where she works, Wright, who has held positions in the CWRU bookstore and student affairs office as well as multicultural affairs, said she always seems to draw students with something to share.

"As a clerk, a secretary, even at the bookstore, I've always had students come up and talk to me if they needed something," she said.

Many of her conversations with students revolve around academics, but they talk about family, religion and dating just as often because, Wright said, the personal and educational are inherently connected.

"We work on academics, but I also try to encourage and help students in other areas of their lives, too, because that helps to strengthen their academics," she said.

"She has been a wonderful mentor to me for over two years," Suggs said. "She has helped mold my personal growth as well as academic growth. Over the years we have developed a very close relationship that I feel will last even after I leave Case Western Reserve University."

Suggs is likely to follow in the footsteps of the literally hundreds of alumni whom befriended when they were students. Wright said she receives cards and calls and e-mail from them regularly. Many come to her office even still and want her to meet their spouses or their children.

"When I think of the young lady who nominated me and I think about our experience and what we shared, I realized that mentoring is not just about what I can do for the student. It's also about what I can learn from the student. I am very pleased that I have been able to impact the life of a student, but I must also say that these students also have greatly impacted mine."

Kent J. Smith Jr., director of multicultural affairs, said he was not surprised to hear that Wright had won the Jackson award for mentoring.

"Very few people can top her energy, and her smile is infectious," he said.

He also cites her ability to build relationships as one of the many benefits she brings to the Office of Multicultural Affairs. In Wright's first year as program coordinator, the office has increased the number of campus organizations it regularly works with from six to 15.

Another reason her talents are such a great fit for OMA, Smith said, is because one of the main functions of the office is to help improve the retention of underrepresented minority students.

"Most people think academics are the key to retention, but statistics and research show it is more often the social component that makes a difference," Smith said. "Students see Arlet not only as a mentor but as a friend. It's no surprise that she is being honored with this award."

Wright counts Smith and Barker-Williamson among her own mentors. She said Smith; her husband, David, who is manager of AV services in the law library; the late Dorothy Pijan, who was director of Thwing Center; and Beverly Davis, a personal friend who works in the CWRU bookstore, have made the most impact in her life because they are "the people who believe in me the most."

"I don't always believe in myself," Wright said. "It's funny. I can encourage others, but sometimes I need a push, too. At sometime in our lives we all need mentors and advisers, and we all need to find mentors and cherish the ones we already have."

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