A new program at Renton Technical College will establish a brotherhood of development for RTC students who are Men of Color. Nearly 50 students attended the first meeting of the Men of Merit in November.

The next meeting is Dec. 6 from 2:30-4 p.m. in Blencoe Auditorium.

The event began with testimonials from RTC faculty staff, and student leaders including Student Success Specialist Gerald Bradford, Batholomew Kimani, Precision Machining faculty, Angel Reyna, vice president for instruction; and students Carl Harris, David Cleaves, and Mo Abdullahi.

Students talked about their experiences at RTC and identified ways in which the college can provide them with more support.

Harris said the group is an important way to support students.

“We don’t want students of color to come here and give up,” he said. “No one should feel alone.”