“Igniting potential, inspiring success.”
This is the mission of Man 2 Men, an initiative born at Ball State University in 2021, according to the group’s Ball State University website.
Huy Huynh, the group's program coordinator, described Man 2 Men as an initiative “boosting the retention and graduation rates of men of color on campus, specifically for Black and Latino men who have the lowest rates of graduation at Ball State.”
The origins of Man 2 Men are rooted in the vision of former Ball State architecture student Jarron Tichenor, who played a role in bringing the program to life.
“Man 2 Men was something that I always wanted to have — some sort of group where we can engage in brotherhood and just like a safe space, particularly for Black men, but minority men as well,” Tichenor said.
He discussed how the space was always designed to be inclusive.
“We don’t turn away anybody. Everybody has a voice,” Tichenor said.
Tichenor’s experiences as a student shaped his vision. After initially struggling academically and transferring from Indiana State University to Ball State in 2018, Tichenor eventually became dedicated to creating a space where men of color could find support and a community in Muncie.
“I wonder how my life would be different if I had a mentor or a brother or just a group of brothers I can confide in,” he said.
Man 2 Men began as an event organized by Tichenor’s fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, in partnership with other historically Black fraternities on campus.
In the fall of 2021, Tichenor said they had an L.A. Pittenger Student Center event centered around discussions about school, work, and dealing with emotions and discrimination.
“We united the campus in that way because sometimes people can be standoffish toward each other,” he said. “At the very least, we now understand that we all go through similar things.”
From there, Tichenor connected with Bobby Steele, the then-director of the Multicultural Center, and Ball State Vice President of Student Affairs Ro-Anne Royer Engle, who both became key supporters of the initiative.
“They put a battery in my pack and told me to take my best shot,” Tichenor said.
In the spring of 2022, he launched what Man 2 Men is today, with events every other week focused on goal setting, conflict resolution and emotional intelligence. These gatherings became a safe space for self-expression among men in the group.
“It was like group therapy, empowering us to sit in our full range of humanity,” Tichenor said.
The program gained momentum in 2023 when it received grant funding from the American Electric Power Company, a company Huynh said has a division of racial and social justice where they donate to other universities or nonprofits.
“This financial boost allowed Man 2 Men to establish structured programming and implement data-driven approaches,” Huynh said. “Before that, we had just one student designated to running whatever Man 2 Men had planned. But since we got the donation, I wanted to take a more analytical and data-driven approach.”
A fall 2024 report compiled by Huynh provides evidence of Man 2 Men’s effectiveness. According to the report, Man 2 Men held 12 events throughout the semester. Each event alternated between social and developmental activities designed to help with community engagement and personal growth among students in the organization.
The program saw an average attendance of 29 students per event, with a total participation of 357 students, compared to 153 students across five events the previous fall.
“One of the statistics that I found interesting this past year was that everyone who
attended all of our events last year averaged a 3.2 GPA; all the students who attended only one or [fewer] events averaged a 1.4, and all those students who are leaving are averaging a 0.8,” Huynh said.
However, Tichenor’s vision for Man 2 Men goes beyond academic success. He also wants to create a space for leadership development.
“Empowering guys to take on some of these positions prepares you for what’s next after campus,” he said. “Whether that’s the workforce or familial life, people love leaders.”
Vice President Angel Esquivel-Vazquez spoke about the program’s impact when he became a leader.
“It made me kind of feel like I can make a difference for people with my demographic,” Esquivel-Vazquez said.
Similarly, member Jalen Adkins-Dunscomb emphasized the impact the brotherhood of Man 2 Men had on him.
“I kind of got drawn in by the activities they were doing, as well as the impact that it had with me introducing myself to other men around campus,” he said.
Caleb Roberts, a member of the group’s public relations team, also shared his perspective on the program’s mission of creating an inclusive space for men on campus.
“Our mission is to equip and to create a space for students of color, specifically men of color. Our main goal is retention, so we want students of color to feel welcome enough to stay on campus,” he said.
Roberts further highlighted the program’s inclusive nature, stating that Man 2 Men is open to men of varying racial backgrounds.
"We’ve had multiple races; all types of people. We are open to everybody,” Roberts said.
However, Roberts finds the most rewarding of Man 2 Men to be the environment of personal growth that forms amongst members.
“Our events often end up becoming a very personal, very vulnerable space for men of color to open up on campus,” he said.
One event that stood out to him was “Main Character Energy,” which focused on self-love and self-care.
“It was amazing to see people wanting to talk about their feelings. It was a space where a lot of people felt comfortable enough to be vulnerable,” Roberts said.
Man 2 Men now operates weekly, having events every Monday in the Multicultural Center, alternating between social gatherings and professional development workshops from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Man 2 Men also provides financial assistance for students who consistently attend the events.
“Every semester, we’re able to give a handful of students $250 each as a book grant. We’ve given over $20,000 in financial assistance to students,” Huynh said.
Despite its success, Man 2 Men’s future relies on sustainability.
“We are a grant-funded program, so there’s no assurance that we’ll have the money forever,” Huynh said.
To keep receiving this funding, Hunyah hopes to continue tracking retention and graduation rates while giving students at Ball State more career-oriented opportunities for them to have long-term success after graduation.
Reflecting on the evolution of Man 2 Men, Tichenor discussed how rewarding the organization's growth has been.
“I was invited back to speak after I graduated. It was beyond my words — pretty full circle,” he said. “It’s amazing to see that it’s not only continuing, but it’s growing, and people are getting value out of it.”
Man 2 Men continues to thrive from when it first started at Ball State, driven by a shared commitment to support academic success and provide a sense of community and brotherhood.
“Having faith to see your work through to the end is what Man 2 Men is all about,” Tichenor said.
Contact Meghan Braddy via email at meghan.braddy@bsu.edu or on X @meghan_braddy.
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