Breakthrough’s College Mentor Program Induction Ceremony was held at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School on May 2nd. In this ceremony we honor the hard work that seniors and their mentors in the College Mentor Program (CMP) dedicated to the college application process over the course of the 2017-2018 school year. At the end of the ceremony, Breakthrough juniors were partnered with their new mentor and inducted into the CMP. This launches the beginning of their journey through the college application process. All Breakthrough families were recognized for their dedication in supporting their son or daughter throughout the year.
Giselle, a San Juan Hills High School Senior, gave a beautiful speech where she shared her experience with her mentor and gave advice to the incoming seniors after going through the program herself. We were touched as she shared, “I do recall the time when I finally shared my personal experiences with Kia [my mentor] for my college essay. We really dug deep into my soul for them. I felt comfortable with her but I was a bit nervous. It was at that moment when I knew that I could trust Kia and go to her for guidance.” We are truly grateful that our mentors have a great impact on the lives of our seniors as they look for guidance.
The College Mentor Program started in 2015 and we are now starting our fourth CMP cycle! It started with seven students and mentors in 2015, and has grown to 24 students and mentors for the 2018-2019 school year! The CMP is designed to have juniors partnered with a mentor to provide them an additional support as they enter a rigorous college application path. Our mentors are very dedicated and generous community members that give time to meet once a month and encourage the juniors in every step towards applying to college. Our current mentees, with the help of their mentors, submitted over 265 college applications and received 85 acceptances. We are excited to continue supporting all of our seniors and helping them build personal skills to carry into their college careers.