How Mentorship Changes Lives
According to MENTOR National, students with a mentor are 55% more likely to enroll in college and are 130% more likely to hold leadership positions. Mentors help guide students through challenging moments with consistent support and invaluable advice.
Alongside receiving social, emotional, and academic support from their advisors, SRA students have opportunities throughout their college-to-career journeys to be matched with mentors through our robust mentorship program. The power of mentorship gives our students lifelong connections and a chance for personal and professional development.
Social Mentors are paired with high school seniors and act as supportive role models that help prepare students for college. Students and Mentors create bonds through fun social activities that help relieve some of the pressure of what is oftentimes a mentally taxing senior year. Students also rely on Social Mentors as a resource throughout college.
Since many of our students have limited exposure to the wide variety of career opportunities available to them, Career Mentors help bridge that gap by acting as a professional resource. Our Career Mentors help students engage in career exploration through informational interviews, job shadowing, and more. Career Mentors also provide support at our various Career Development Workshops, by guiding our students through mock interviews, assisting with resume development, and coaching them through general job search strategies.
In the past two years, we’ve matched over 90 students with Social Mentors and nearly 30 students with Career Mentors.
The transition from college to the workforce can be daunting. New Grad Mentors are matched with our graduating college seniors and help guide students in the professional, post-college world. They offer networking assistance and professional mentoring to graduating college seniors in their industry.
Last year we matched 34 New Grad Mentors with college seniors. We’re currently matching another 30 New Grad Mentors with seniors graduating this year to access this valuable support system.
From Mentee To Mentor
It’s incredibly rewarding to see SRA Alumni give back to current students as mentors. To date, 22 SRA Alumni have given back to our program as mentors to our students.
Zaria Clemmons decided to become a mentor because she loved her relationship with her mentor while she was an SRA student. She shares, “It was a relationship that was built on many new experiences and an openness I had not experienced in my adult relationships! This is an experience I wanted the privilege to share so I decided to become a mentor. It’s an honor to still be connected to this community, and to serve as a mentor.”
Daniela Gomez has had mentors in her life since she was ten years old, each providing her with guidance to get her to where she is today. In fact, it was her own SRA mentor Madeline McCarthy that inspired her to attend UC Berkeley, after attending Cal Day and learning about her mentor’s experiences there.
On becoming a mentor to SRA students, Daniela shares, “I really enjoy passing on advice and resources to SRA students because I was once in their shoes. Giving back to my SRA family has been enriching – each student has different experiences and needs. I’ve learned that one glove does not fit all when it comes to helping a community of such diverse experiences. That’s why it is important for me to keep coming back to my community: to learn how to reach and support as many students as possible so they, too, can reach their dreams.”
We’re so grateful for our mentor community, the support they offer our students, and the direct, personal impact they’re making on our students. If you’re interested in becoming a mentor to an SRA Scholar, fill out our Volunteer Application. We’re always thrilled to expand our network of mentors to continue to support our students in dynamic ways.
