High School Students Get Tutoring and Life Lessons

Equitas Academy, a charter public school serving students in Grades TK-8 in the Pico Union-Westlake area of Los Angeles, launched a mentoring program two years ago to support alumni with the transition to college. The Mentor Volunteer Program (MVP) is supported by the Pico Union Project , a local nonprofit organization that strives to build community among the area’s diverse cultures through art, music and voluntarism.

Students who participate in the program are matched with a mentor who provides tutoring, assists with college applications and makes personal connections with them. “Our mentors are successful professional people who run or own companies and have a vast wealth of knowledge,” said Stuart Robinson, vice president of programs for the Pico Union Project. “To have someone who is experienced to guide you as you make important decisions about your future is invaluable for anyone, especially for a student,” he added.

In its first year, the program enrolled 16 students and mentors. Mentors and mentees are assigned based on similar interests and meet once a month. Jamila Cervantes, who runs the mentorship program for the Pico Union Project and also mentors three students, says that in addition to providing resources for her mentees, she celebrates their accomplishments and offers academic as well as socio-emotional support.

“I see this program as an opportunity to uplift our communities from within,” says Cervantes, who earned her Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from U.C. Berkeley, and a Masters of Public Health from Cal State Los Angeles. “There’s something really special about working with first generation students. That’s what draws me to the work. I’m here to tell them that if they make mistakes, I’m here to help and hold them through it.”

For students like Catherine Gonzalez, a senior at Bishop Conaty Our Lady of Loretto High School, and Equitas Academy alum, who wants to study genetics, having someone to count on for support as she applies to colleges is critical, especially when pursuing highly-competitive fields.

“Being a first generation student can be challenging,” says Gonzalez. “I like having the stability of a mentor – someone to reach out to and speak with. My mentor is a woman of color, pursuing a career in the sciences, studying at my dream university. It’s great to get to meet someone you can look up to.”

Equitas Academy Charter Schools are free public schools offering a high-quality education and positively challenging school experience. Its model offers credentialed, passionate, and dedicated teachers and staff who are experts in their field.