Build moMENtum with iMentor

Every one of our mentors comes to iMentor with a different story: whether they were a first-generation student and want to pay their knowledge forward; they are new to the city and want to engage with our community; or they have a passion for education and want to share that with a young person. No matter the story, many of our mentors can say, “I had a mentor who shaped the person I am today, and I want to be that for someone else.”

In November 2017, iMentor NYC held our first Mentoring Young Men of Color Panel and we heard from a few of our all-star male mentors on what they want to pass on to their mentees:

Chris Smith: “If there is not a door I can get through, I’m going to find one or make one. I told Taquan, ‘Never let what circumstances may happen stop you. There are different ways you can get through it. I’ve done it, I’ve seen other people do it, and you can do it.’”

Kelechi Okere: “I’m not always the smartest guy in the room, but I’m one of the hardest working guys. It doesn’t matter where you come from. It doesn’t matter if you come from the South Bronx, it doesn’t matter if your parents didn’t go to college. If you can sit down and study and if you can work hard, you will go far.

Prath Reddy: “It’s okay to be different. You don’t have to follow the mold that someone has said that you have to do to become successful. You can become successful in other ways. I hope to encourage his curiosity and creativity as we work together over the next couple of years.”

What is moMENtum?:
moMENtum is our movement to bring men into our program to mentor our students. Nationally, women are 1.5 times more likely to volunteer than men. With each new school year, we have phenomenal women who step up to mentor. We are able to match every young woman in our program with a college-educated mentor as we start the new school year. However, many of our young men must wait a bit longer to find their mentor champion. So, we are building moMENtum and looking for great men to step up to mentor a young person in NYC.

Join the moMENtum and help support our students as they develop the skills to succeed! Here are three easy ways to participate:
1. If you are not already a mentor, join us here!
2. Nominate the phenomenal men in your life to become mentors here!
3. Share about moMENtum on social media! Copy and paste to your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram (be sure to tag @iMentor!):
Hi all! I am a proud mentor with @iMentor! We're looking for great male mentors to help high school students achieve their college and life ambitions!

iMentor makes mentoring easy and provides a ton of support. One online communication a week and one in-person group event a month helps put a student on a path toward college success. Because women volunteer at a higher rate than men (1.5 times more!), we are able to match every young woman in our program with a mentor! However, many young men will need to wait to find their great mentor. So, we need great men to step up and mentor a young person here in NYC! #moMENtum

Getting started is easy- just go to http://imentor.org/mentor to fill out the online application and learn more. Let me know if you have any questions or email Liz at [email protected]! #imentor #beachampion