Mentors Make a Difference in Student's Lives

Research indicates that when students have a caring adult in their lives they are less likely to use drugs, skip school or let their grades drop. A mentor can be any caring adult who will meet with his or her student once per week at school. A mentor is literally a “trusted friend” and with the training offered by the Foundation, you too can become a trusted friend to one of the scholarship recipients.

Mentors encourage students to be successful in school. Having a relationship with a positive adult role model helps students succeed, achieve, and graduate from high school.

As a mentor, you can provide a role model for students who have a scholarship for college, but may not have a family member who has attended college to help them.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation administers the Take Stock In Children scholarship and mentoring program for middle and high school students. Would you give up one lunch break a week to provide a listening ear, a kind word of encouragement and the maturity and experience that many students seek?

"Kamile has been an absolute delight to mentor; she was not your typical high school student. She knows what she wants and is determined to get there. She is extremely focused on school."
When Linda started mentoring more than five years ago, she wasn’t sure what her goal was. However, after spending some time with Kamile, a high school student who graduated as valedictorian last year, she knew why she became involved.

Interested in becoming a Mentor?  Please contact Sharold Allen for more information. 

"At first, I did not understand what a mentor was. I knew that in order to receive my scholarship I had to meet with one. I’ve been friends with my mentor for seven years now. She really cares about me and that makes me feel important. We can talk about anything and in high school she helped me focus on my goals and complete applications for college. My mentor is more than a friend, she is like family. I am in my second year at UCF and we still stay in touch."
Hillsborough Education Foundation Scholarship Recipient