Belmont’s Newest Initiative to Grow Students of Character, Honor and Ambition

A new campus initiative is looking to grow students into people of character, honor and ambition. 

The Men and Women of Character, Honor and Ambition, or MOCHA and WOCHA, are groups on campus created in partnership with Bridges to Belmont and the Office of Hope, Unity and Belonging. 

These groups are an attempt to grow and impact students professionally and interpersonally over a one-year time frame. 

“It will definitely give men on campus and women just a space to articulate what they're experiencing at Belmont but also learn and hear from other people,” said Jozef Lukey, program manager for Belmont’s MOCHA program.  

The programs will meet weekly between character check-ins and program events, serving as a way for students to learn from guest speakers and discuss the weekly reading and discussion topics among the group. 

“The WOCHA program was designed to ensure that undergraduate students have comprehensive support as they navigate their college journey,” said Alyssa Dituro, the program manager of the WOCHA program in an email. “We hope to see the WOCHA program continue to grow and thrive, expanding its reach and impact on students’ lives. 

The groups are continuing to accept new students interested in joining, growing and impacting the local community through community partnership projects. 

“I've been at Belmont for three years now, and so this has kind of been a vision of mine to get it at Belmont. So, I'm excited to partner with Dr. Taylor and the HUB,” Lukey said. 

After the initial meetings for the two groups some students are interested in continuing with the program for the rest of the school year. 

“I would like to get the strength to be a better leader, to take it out of this space here to different spaces out in my community, and to help people grow and be a better person for themselves,” said freshman Desmond Ogundokun. 

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This article was written by Braden Simmons