Mentoring
Personal Mentoring
PUENTE is unique among college transfer programs by offering personal one-on-one mentoring by local professionals who graciously volunteer their time during the academic year.
Our PUENTE mentors support the PUENTE counselor and English instructor by motivating PUENTE students to build the social and cultural capital they will need for their future success as college students and career professionals. All PUENTE Mentors are trained to follow mentoring guidelines and serve as successful career role models to their student mentees. Our experience shows that mentoring is inspiring to BOTH mentors and their Puente student mentee.
How Does the Mentoring Program Work?
- Both students (mentees) and professionals (mentors) are prepared for mentoring; students are prepared by the PUENTE faculty during class and professionals attend a separate training session
- Mentors and mentees are matched formally during a PUENTE Mentor Matching event. Both student and professionals agree to to meet 3-5 times (virtually or in person) during the academic year. Together they identify three goals/areas that the mentor will help support the PUENTE student mentee’s college going aspirations.
- Mentors are encouraged to invite their mentee to work, perhaps visit a local university together or just spend time getting to know each other. Mentors share their stories of their academic and career paths and what they learned about being a successful professional.
- PUENTE students may interview their mentor as part of a class assignment on the mentoring experience.
- The PUENTE mentoring experience formally ends during Puente’s End of the Year Celebration although mentoring may continue if both the student and professional independently wish to continue the mentoring relationship.