High School Mentorship: Fostering Courage and Confidence in the Challenging College Process

For many young people, college acceptance and attendance are important for a successful adulthood. However, the process can be challenging. That’s when mentorship programs step in for support.

AHC Inc. is a nonprofit affordable housing developer of low and moderate income housing in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. They have just finished the first year of their new college guidance program. In this program, each high school senior is paired with an adult for one year. This mentor helps their student with the college process: financial aid, essays, scholarship applications, and more.

All 15 high school graduates from the first year of this program will go to college. Collectively, they applied to 71 colleges and were accepted into 54 of them. They received nearly $500,000 in scholarship money, which includes full rides to institutions such as Georgetown University and the University of Pennsylvania. Most significantly, many of the graduates are first-generation college students. This achievement means a lot to them and their families.

Here at Big Brothers Big Sisters, we commend AHC Inc. for taking the initiative to support the mentorship of youth into their young adult years. In fact, AHC Inc.’s new college guidance program is similar to our own college guidance program: Mentor2.0.

Mentor2.0 is our technology-enhanced mentorship program that provides one-on-one support for low-income and first-generation high school students. We prepare them for high school success, college attendance, and workforce readiness. For Mentor2.0, a BBBSMB Program Coordinator facilitates the online communication feature between students and their mentors to enhance what students learn in their weekly college success class. In addition, students and their mentors meet in monthly in-person sessions, which take place on weeknights after work. Currently, we serve Boston Green Academy in Brighton and the Edward Kennedy Academy of Health Careers in Fenway. They are both accessible by car and the Green Line.

Mentor2.0 has had an enormously positive impact on the lives of over 10,000 high school students who currently participate across the country in 13 Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates. 97% of Mentor2.0 participants completed college applications. 88% expect to earn a college degree. Moreover, the success of Mentor2.0 extends beyond high school. Participants are more likely than their peers to enroll in college (75% vs. 50%). Once they are in college, they are more likely to continue into their sophomore year (83% vs. 50%). Overall, it is clear that AHC Inc.’s college guidance program and our Mentor2.0 program are becoming all the more beneficial as the importance of a college degree continues to grow.

Best of all, you can make a difference by becoming a Big in Mentor2.0! We are now recruiting mentors for 9th graders this fall. You can be the personal champion for a student on their journey to college.

Learn more about Mentor2.0 and complete the application HERE!

Additionally, you can help us recruit volunteers for Mentor2.0 at your company. We are currently looking for opportunities to conduct 30-minute information sessions at offices or groups that are interested in learning more about and participating in Mentor2.0. To learn more about the program or to schedule a date for a session, please contact Chris Jones at cjones@bbbsmb.org.