The T.R.U.E Foundation was founded in Petersburg, Virginia in 1999 by 33 freshmen males and one freshman Female. How they came to develop one of Virginia State University’s largest and most successful mentoring organization is a story of commitment, devotion, adversity, perseverance, hard work, and great joy in the pursuit of excellence.
Freshmen with a Cause
On March 29, 1999, 34 freshmen, came together to discuss what they believed to be their most challenging obstacle during their first year of college. The consensus was unanimous and this is when the idea was introduced in Williams Hall dormitory at Virginia State University. The Founders pronounced to a crowd of students the birth of a new organization dedicated to serving and mentoring freshmen students. The Founders envisioned a movement committed to "reaching and uplifting" the freshmen at Virginia State University.
Family & Business
While The T.R.U.E Foundation Inc. strives to be the best business it can be as mentoring organization, we also operate as a family. The bonds created as colleagues “mentor to mentor” is just as important as the “mentor to mentee” bond. As a family we come together building long lasting friendships as a form of support. Everyone that is affiliated with the business part of The T.R.U.E Foundation Inc. has been mentored by someone at some point in time in the organization. Today The T.R.U.E Foundation Inc. has 145 mentors.
Our Name
The name T.R.U.E Foundation Inc. was chosen in 1999 to describe an organization organized to help assist and guide people. The acronym T.R.U.E describes the values and virtues that the mentors tries to exemplify and achieve in their everyday life and while working with their mentees and explaining their importance. T.R.U.E stands for Trust, Respect, Unity and Excellence. Foundation is the start of the beginning and because we are mentoring freshmen in college it is the beginning of their young careers in which they will continue to build on with the right building blocks of life.
