“Success isn’t about how much money you make , it’s about the difference that you make in people’s lives.”
— Michelle Obama
“The key to being a good mentor is to help people become more of who they already are - not to make them more like you.”
— Suze Orman
Become a mentor!
The CAPS Scholarship is intrinsically linked to a mentor pairing. The success of the program is dependent on mentors such as you! Please consider joining by applying today!
What are key mentor attributes?
-Local to Charlotte, NC or Atlanta, GA
-Enthusiastic about postsecondary education access and success work, and some personal experience in that space
-Growth mindset and eagerness to learn alongside the mentee
-Ability to connect across age gaps and listen to experiences of individual students
-Cultural competency
-Willingness to share personal experiences (openness)
-Philosophical alignment with College AIM/CYC and the Merancas Foundation missions
-Ability to relate to our students
**Although it is not a necessity that mentors have similar lived experiences to our students, we know that this can help foster relationships. We encourage College AIM/CYC alums, first-generation college students, people of color, those who had challenging paths to college completion and career launch to apply.
What is the length of commitment?
Although our program follows students to and through their postsecondary path into their first year of career, which could span up to 7 years, our mentor commitment is 3 years. After this commitment period the partnership is evaluated and if appropriate a new mentor will be assigned for the second half of the student’s journey. However, we truly hope and believe that once a mentor always a mentor and that the relationship will become lifelong one, formal or informal.
What are the expectations?
-Available to commit to a minimum of bi-monthly meetings with their mentee
-Join mentee in quarterly workshops
-Communicate openly and honestly with partner organization staff
-Advocate for student if there is an observed need
-Partake in mentor training
-Help connect mentees to useful college, career and life resources
-Participate in mentor transition phase
Can I share the responsibility?
We recognize that all mentoring does not look the same and sometimes partnering up with a friend or colleague can both be less daunting and potentially more fruitful for the mentee. Although traditional mentor relationships are 1 to 1 we also welcome 2 to 1 model or partner pairs in a cohort of 2 mentors and 2 mentees.
How do I apply?
Apply now for mentorship pairing which will occur in June, prior to student’s senior year of high school. Mentor training will begin in March-May. To apply to become a mentor in your local area click on the links below.
(If you are interested in mentoring the latter half of a student’s journey only, please email us your interest so we can reach out to you when our students transition into that phase.)