No Substitute for Personal Mentoring and Guidance When it Comes to College
Our mentors are the lifeblood of our program. What they do for our students is so much more than test prep and help with college applications – although they do that as well. The role they play in our students’ journey to four-year colleges and beyond is unique: through multi-year relationship building and support, our mentors prepare students for selective colleges by: helping them build awareness of their options, providing weekly guidance and care, and supporting our mentees to build confidence in themselves. Our mentors care about our mentees as individuals, cheerlead each milestone, and help them dream big for their lives and careers.
Sharing invaluable knowledge about college
Take Benton, for instance. Benton was a mentee in our program from 2013-16. His parents do not speak English, did not go to college in this country, and were unable to provide advice that would help Benton navigate the opaque process to admission at selective colleges in the U.S. Minds Matter Bay Area (MMBay) introduced him to summer programs that helped him get into college, his mentors helped him research, apply to, and select programs most aligned with his interests, and MMBay provided funding so Benton could attend these programs. “I had no idea that people did things over the summer to explore careers – that was new to me,” said Benton. “I lacked someone close to me (counselor, friend, family) with knowledge about applying to college, what it is like to be a college student, and finding subjects I liked.”
After graduating from our program, Benton attended Harvard University, graduating in 2020 with a Bachelor's in Physics and a Master's in Applied Mathematics. Today, Benton works as a Software Engineer in San Francisco. “There was no substitute for the amount of guidance [my mentors] gave me,” said Benton. “My life would be drastically different without Minds Matter.”
From mentee to mentor – via Harvard
MMBay had such a positive impact on Benton’s life that he decided to return to our program as a mentor. He explains why he wanted to pay it forward: “It’s a way I can continue to give and receive through investment in students who are just like me. There are only so many lives I can live, but through other people I can give to and invest in, their lives and their dreams become an extension of my fulfillment.”
Kelly Ngo is another graduate of our program whose life would have been very different without the guidance she received from her Minds Matter mentors. As the oldest sibling in a first-generation family, there was nobody in her life who knew anything about college.
Support beyond the college application process
Kelly’s mentors walked her through the process of getting into college, helping with the logistics of summer program applications, providing academic support, and navigating SAT test preparation. With college now attainable, they helped her prepare to thrive in college, including explaining how to find a support system once she was attending college. “Having an adult who understands means a lot,” said Kelly. “You don’t know unless you have been through it. I would have gone to college, probably a city college, but not one so prestigious. I didn’t know where to start.” Kelly recently matriculated at Johns Hopkins University on a full-ride scholarship.
Kelly and Benton are just a few of our many success stories. Now that we have expanded to additional cities around the Bay Area, we will be able to help even more students like Kelly and Benton realize their full potential and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
What you can do
Do you know a student in San Francisco, Oakland, or San Jose who might benefit from our program? Fill out a prospective student form today.
Are you interested in becoming a mentor for Minds Matter Bay Area? We are currently seeking mentors in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose who want to make a real difference in a student’s life. Fill out a volunteer application today.
Would you like to start a new Minds Matter Bay Area site in Oakland? Email us at contact@mindsmatterbay.org to learn more.