Community Mentoring Program at Willsboro Central School Shows Power of Mentoring

January is National Mentoring Month, a good time to recognize the volunteers nationwide that have given their time, companionship, and guidance to our nation’s youth.

College For Every Student (CFES), a national nonprofit that works with underserved youth to help them access and succeed in college, serves 20,000 students in its robust mentoring program.

“We’ve seen great success with our students because of mentoring,” said CFES President & CEO Rick Dalton. “The mentoring relationship raises academic performance and helps our students become college ready.”

CFES schools use peer mentors, college students, business leaders, and some, like Willsboro Central School, engage community members as mentors.

For six years, the community-based mentoring program at Willsboro Central School has been “instrumental in getting students on the path to college,” said Stephen Broadwell, Willsboro’s Superintendent.

Each month, 20 community mentors meet with Willsboro’s 38 juniors and seniors. In addition to a retired college president, an author, and several business leaders, four CFES staff members are helping Willsboro students make college lists, write application essays, secure financial aid, and research scholarships.

“We are extremely fortunate to have the CFES national headquarters located within our school district, and we have tapped into their expertise,” said Broadwell. “The first step to a successful mentoring program is matching mentors and mentees and our students find a tremendous amount of value in working with someone who is neither their teacher nor their parent. It’s amazing how quickly the bonds form.”

Opening Their Eyes and Opportunities for What’s Next in Life

“Although each mentor-mentee experience is unique, one fact remains,” noted Broadwell. “The relationship helps these students ‘to think with a different set of eyes’ for what the future can hold for them.”

Last year, Kim Calhoun, a CFES Program Coordinator was paired with her mentee, Lilly Kelly. “I care a lot about Lilly,” said Calhoun. “She is a talented young lady with enormous potential. She just needs to figure out her post high school plans and I’m helping her do that.”

Recently, Calhoun took a five-hour road trip with Kelly to visit Colby Sawyer College in New Hampshire – a college Calhoun thought would be a good fit, given Kelly’s interest in the arts.

“Lilly keeps me on my toes,” laughed Calhoun. “Only two weeks ago, she was preparing to enlist in the military.” Calhoun urged her to keep an open-mind, after Kelly admitted to being overwhelmed by the college process. “I told her I would be with her every step of the way – from completing college applications in a very short time-frame, to helping her find financial aid and scholarships.” Kelly now waits, with the thousands of students across the country to hear about her acceptance to Colby Sawyer.

“Gabi has always been college bound,” said CFES’ Communications Director, Aubrey Bresett about her mentee, Gabi Yeager. “My charge as her mentor is finding out which college will make the best fit.” Bresett spent the week before Thanksgiving helping Yeager, who she has been working with for two years, explore scholarship opportunities. “Taking time out of my day to mentor is refreshing. Not only have I been able to help Gabi forge her college path, I’ve been able to connect with her on a personal level,” Bresett noted. “My goal is to prepare and support Gabi through this transition, especially since she’s planning to go away to college. But as much as I give to this relationship, I get so much more.”

Emily Owens, CFES’ Development Officer, has two mentees – one applying to college, the other in the planning stages. Her involvement ranges from helping one student choose an essay topic, to putting together a comparison grid of colleges to help her other mentee zero in on the best college choice. “It’s essential for these students to know that there are people who care about their success and are willing to invest the time to support their future,” said Owens. “Mentoring enables me to have a direct impact on the lives of students in my community, hear their stories, share their experiences and cheer them on.”

Like Calhoun, Tara Smith, CFES Vice President for Programs, also took a road trip with her mentee this year. “There have been many colleges that Kat has been interested in, but the University of Albany has always remained at the top of her list,” said Smith. “So, I took a day off from work and we drove down for a visit.” Since then, the two have worked on the early admission application to Albany and Katherine Belize (Kat) has applied to five other schools.

“In the ten years I’ve worked with CFES, I have seen the positive impact and far-reaching effects of our work but the one-on-one mentoring I do at Willsboro Central School has allowed me to see the direct impact that I – personally – can have on a student,” Smith stated. “Being a mentor makes me a better professional in the college access realm but more importantly, my mentee has made me a better person. She is the best reminder of why I do the work I do, every day.”

Added Broadwell, “The CFES staff are truly committed to helping young people and their enthusiasm and excitement is evident as soon as they enter the school. They not only “talk the talk” but at Willsboro they “walk the walk” regarding involvement, commitment and helping students.”

“This is the reality of what we do at CFES,” remarked Calhoun. “I spend a lot of time at my desk and on the phone – this is CFES in real life. It’s energizing and brings purpose to what I do each day.” There are currently 39 students participating in the mentoring program, 24 of whom are juniors.

Related articles

• Mentors Give Back to Help Students Succeed (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Use Social Media to Support Local Nonprofit CFES (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Dedication of The Inez Milholland Chair (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Start the New Year with NEW Health (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Sarah McLean, Licensed Esthetician Joins Lake Champlain Yoga & Wellness (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
• Pink Pig Open for Winter and Serving Breakfast & Lunch (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)