Photo courtesy of Journey Forward Mentoring
The fall semester is underway, and a local nonprofit is seeking volunteer mentors to help students at area high schools succeed academically and prepare for life after high school.
Journey Forward Mentoring partners with Molina, Sunset and Adamson High School, providing one-on-one mentoring for students. Mentors help students consider higher education options and alternative career paths, while also helping students achieve continued academic success.
The nonprofit was founded in 2014, and its executive director, Anjulie Ponce, is a former volunteer who lives in Oak Cliff.
“We expect for our mentors to meet with their students on average twice a month, as well as to make every best effort to attend our community events and workshops with their mentees and their families so that they can further strengthen their relationships,” the nonprofit’s website states. “This time investment pays off in dividends for our students and provides a truly rewarding experience for our mentors.”
Journey Forward has partnered with over 170 students. Most students begin the mentorship program in their sophomore and junior years, and are encouraged to stay in contact with their assigned mentor through the end of their high school careers.
Mentors are paired with students based on shared interests, goals and general personalities.
“I don’t think I would be where I am today without Journey Forward Mentoring. I was very lost before I joined this mentoring program, but now I feel very secure about what I want to do after graduating high school,” one Adamson student who previously participated in the program said.
Applications for the 2023-2024 school year mentor cycle are now open.
Selected mentees will receive training before being matched with a student in the next several months.
