I felt I had a HUGE impact. It took me ten years to understand and develop tools to deal with certain things. I was able to pass on all of that information within a few months, and now Ivan has a 10-year head start, and hopefully, he can pay it forward by mentoring his own student in the future. My goal is to create a constant loop of giving back to those in need.
The mentorship I got from this program gave me the ability to have common sense when in situations that require educated skills. If I can keep on concentrating on my work and learning from the mentorship, then I will be headed on the right path to success.
It’s empowering to have someone I can count on and learn from—especially as a first generation student. The e-Mentoring Program helped me to keep going and not give up. Especially during my second semester—there were lots of decisions I had to make about college and money was something I had to consider—it got to me. The program reinforced the idea that I can do it and I should continue forward because my community is cheering me on.
My mentor, she’s been through what I want to do. She’s experienced; she’s done it. I’m fortunate I can communicate with her when I have questions about college and even other stuff. It’s been eye-opening and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity.