The Department of Student Life launched a new mentorship program designed to increase school spirit and retention among students at New Mexico State University.

The program, Aggie Stampede, was initiated by Dean of Students Ann Goodman, Associate Dean of Students Will Waller and Vice President of Student Success Renay Scott.

Jerry Tuttle, one of the four Aggie Stampede coaches, said the program was developed as an effort to improve retention.

“It is targeted more at freshmen to get them connected to the university, you know—get them to join clubs, pick out what’s out there for them, go to sporting events, Crimson Kickoff events—get that school spirit engulfed because a big issue is retention for New Mexico State,” Tuttle said. 

According to Tuttle, other universities across the country have programs similar to Aggie Stampede to promote student involvement. 

Tuttle said students will have the opportunity to run on the field at NMSU’s upcoming homecoming game like how students at Baylor University get to do at their own homecoming.  

So far, 313 NMSU students have applied for the Aggie Stampede program. 

Members of the mentorship attend a class titled “Aggie Stampede Leadership Pathway.” The class is focused on teaching leadership skills and receiving a leadership certificate on their transcript.  

Tuttle said the mentorship and its components will hopefully influence their future job searches and that the program has established a community among its students. 

“It’ll help open up new avenues or doors for jobs, hopefully. It’ll at least get their foot in the door for interviews,” Tuttle said. “And then with the mentorship, they can rely on the coaches and Aggie Stampede themselves. There are already kids showing up, making friends and talking about their majors and joining organizations.” 

Overall, Tuttle said they hope this program will grow and have a positive impact on student pride at NMSU. 

“The main thing of this program that we really want is to get everyone to have pride in being an Aggie and keep them wanting to be supportive of this university because this university has a lot to offer for students,” Tuttle said.

Upcoming events for Aggie Stampede include tailgates for this year’s home football games, participating in the homecoming parade and an activities day called Stampede Rodeo that will take place in October. 

The program is targeted toward college freshmen and sophomores. However, it is open to all NMSU students.

Students interested can find applications for the program by contacting an Aggie Stampede coach or the Dean of Students office.