ROLE MODELS : CSUN STUDENTS MENTOR IN INNER CITY.

Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer

Miles from the sprawling malls and suburban feel of the San Fernando Valley, Cal State Northridge senior Steven Duncan maneuvers his Ford Explorer down the gritty, potholed streets that lead to 93rd Street Elementary School.

Duncan doesn't mind the drive. It's all worth it, he said, considering the work he's doing may help steer some young lives in a positive direction.

Each Thursday, Duncan and several other male African-American CSUN students head to 93rd Street elementary's auditorium, where they serve as mentors for 75 African-American boys.

``Life is not fair, but when you constantly have things stacked against you it makes it even worse,'' said Duncan, who grew up just a few miles from the South-Central Los Angeles elementary school. ``Especially because a lot of these students are from single-parent households, I think it's crucial for them to have a positive male role model.''

Through the Care Boy Program, boys between the ages of 8 and 11 are paired with mentors from the Northridge campus who tutor the children and talk about everything from careers to resolving conflicts.

Fannie Taylor, a second-grade teacher at 93rd Street school and coordinator of the program, said gangs, drugs and poverty are part of everyday life in the neighborhood surrounding her campus. But Taylor said she hopes the interaction with CSUN students will influence these children to make the right choices in life.

``I believe in bringing in other men who are already leading their lives in a positive fashion and who are able to share and provide a positive influence,'' Taylor said.

The CSUN students provide a missing link for these children, a majority of whom live in single-parent homes, foster homes or homes where grandparents raise the family, Taylor said.

Ryan Ballard, a CSUN senior, is the type of role model of which Taylor speaks.

During a recent mentoring session, Ballard told the children his goals are to graduate from CSUN, work in the corporate world and open his own business.

``I think seeing positive things going on can have an impact on them for the rest of their lives,'' said Ballard, a business major.

While the program is voluntary, Ballard and other CSUN students receive course credit for their mentoring as part of a Pan-African studies course taught by CSUN Professor Barbara Rhodes.

``It helps society by helping to create leaders who can be in any field,'' Ballard said. ``Hopefully there will be less drugs on the streets, less gangs, better neighborhoods. . . . There's no telling what kind of impact it will have.''