The Mentorship Program for Young Men and Women

The stage of adolescence can be a very influential period in one’s life. Adolescents face many pressures from peers, family members, and their communities, who all in turn mold them to be a perfect fit within society. Requests and demands fill their list of responsibilities in addition to the probing questions sent their way. These questions include where are they going to school, what does their grades look like, ultimately leading to what are their plans for the future. Some students do not have the answers to these questions and some may have ideas, but do not know how to put those ideas into actions. The Mentorship Program for Young Men and Women is an organization that reaches out to these students at Ithaca High School. Our program’s mission statement is to motivate young men and women by development of their value systems through education, example, and experience while helping them to mold aspirations for the future. Over the years, we have learned that relationships are the key components for guidance and interaction when working with others. Ways that we initiate these interactions are our weekly trips to Ithaca High School to join them during their African-Latino Club meetings. Our goal in creating this partnership is to establish a relationship that will affect Ithaca High School students, Cornell University, and the Ithaca Community. By collaborating with them on their own campus, we are better able to learn about the issues facing them and familiarize ourselves with some of the challenges unique to their environment. This opportunity also provides us, as Cornell students, a chance to step outside of our bubble and become involved in the surrounding Ithaca community. We also hold events and programs, such as the annual sleepover, on Cornell’s campus to provide the high school students with a first hand glimpse of what college life is like.