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The pass read "Mentorship 12:00". My classmates peaked over, jealous of my opportunity to leave class. I was thankful for the break, but also slightly intrigued. I eagerly awaited noon, curious what the pass was for. Finally it was time and I made my way to the auditorium. Anxious as I was, I was one of the first to arrive. As other students poured into the room, I noticed they were all Latinos. This struck me as odd but for some reason, I didn't put two and two together.
Once the meeting began, everything started to add up. The program was designed to help Hispanic students transition to college. The sponsor of the program, Ms. Arnett, shared a frightening statistic with us: only 19% of Latinos have a degree above a high school diploma. The aim of this program was to increase that percentage. Many of the students in the club would be the first in their families to go to college and needed someone to guide them. The college process was difficult enough for a native speaker, but the language barrier complicated things further.
By the end of the first meeting, I had decided to be active within the club. Its purpose resonated with me, and as someone who had worked extensively to prepare for college, I felt I had a lot to share. After several messages back and forth with the sponsor, I took over some key responsibilities, sending out reminder emails and leading conversations. I provided the students with a spreadsheet of scholarships, categorized, color-coded, and complete with description, requirements, and due date. Although all this was helpful, the club seemed to lack something. We needed to make it real for the students.
We called on the students of Georgia State University to help us achieve this goal. Every other week, they would come down to our school and talk to us. Our mentors were there to answer any questions we might have and provide us with information and techniques that would be useful in college. Together with these mentors, we set goals, explored extracurricular options, and learned about the application process for admission and scholarships. It was inspiring to see college students who had already finished the strenuous ordeal themselves willingly do it over again for the benefit of other Latino students. To extend the experience past club meeting times, I created a Facebook page to allow the high schoolers to contact their mentors at any time. Things had finally clicked into place.
The club fulfilled its intended purpose of educating Latinos about college, but it did more than that. Mentorship provided students with safe place to share and explore, a place where they were not afraid to dream about their futures and work their hardest to get there. Members gained a sense of Hispanic community and developed pride in their culture. As I pass this club on, I feel pride knowing that it will continue to provide a nurturing environment for younger generations.
The pass read "Mentorship 12:00". My classmates peaked over, jealous of my opportunity to leave class. I was thankful for the break, but also slightly intrigued. I eagerly awaited noon, curious what the pass was for. Finally it was time and I made my way to the auditorium. Anxious as I was, I was one of the first to arrive. As other students poured into the room, I noticed they were all Latinos. This struck me as odd but for some reason, I didn't put two and two together.
Once the meeting began, everything started to add up. The program was designed to help Hispanic students transition to college. The sponsor of the program, Ms. Arnett, shared a frightening statistic with us: only 19% of Latinos have a degree above a high school diploma. The aim of this program was to increase that percentage. Many of the students in the club would be the first in their families to go to college and needed someone to guide them. The college process was difficult enough for a native speaker, but the language barrier complicated things further.
By the end of the first meeting, I had decided to be active within the club. Its purpose resonated with me, and as someone who had worked extensively to prepare for college, I felt I had a lot to share. After several messages back and forth with the sponsor, I took over some key responsibilities, sending out reminder emails and leading conversations. I provided the students with a spreadsheet of scholarships, categorized, color-coded, and complete with description, requirements, and due date. Although all this was helpful, the club seemed to lack something. We needed to make it real for the students.
We called on the students of Georgia State University to help us achieve this goal. Every other week, they would come down to our school and talk to us. Our mentors were there to answer any questions we might have and provide us with information and techniques that would be useful in college. Together with these mentors, we set goals, explored extracurricular options, and learned about the application process for admission and scholarships. It was inspiring to see college students who had already finished the strenuous ordeal themselves willingly do it over again for the benefit of other Latino students. To extend the experience past club meeting times, I created a Facebook page to allow the high schoolers to contact their mentors at any time. Things had finally clicked into place.
The club fulfilled its intended purpose of educating Latinos about college, but it did more than that. Mentorship provided students with safe place to share and explore, a place where they were not afraid to dream about their futures and work their hardest to get there. Members gained a sense of Hispanic community and developed pride in their culture. As I pass this club on, I feel pride knowing that it will continue to provide a nurturing environment for younger generations.
