The Rising Scholar’s “Mentorship Program” is an organization of current Rising Scholars assigned to minority freshmen that seem to need assistance in school. The program not only helps the freshmen; it helps all its members prepare for college by making sure that involved students take SAT prep courses and pays for their SAT fees.
“Over the last five or six years the Minority Achievement program has been searching for ways to improve minority achievement,” stated committee chair Eric Eiswert. “We have done teacher to student mentoring the past but with little success. We thought we would try using our Rising Scholars, who have shown success, to peer mentor ninth grade students.”
The Rising Scholars are paired up with the minority freshmen according to their similar interest and talents. Junior and mentor Shiray Steward said that she was glad to be a Rising Scholar because it has helped her so much to achieve outstanding academic success and having the opportunity to help someone else in need makes the program that much more helpful.
“We have really seen some ninth graders really benefit from the guidance of the older students regarding schedules, teachers, class selection, and study habits. We have also seen some mentors help ninth graders make that behavior adjustment to high school,” said Eiswert.
Minority freshmen have to show their interest and passion for truly wanting to be apart of the program. Also, the program can be considered as a “stepping stone” to becoming a rising scholar.
Tyrone Parker, freshman, said that his mentor has helped him to accomplish so much improvement within his classes and is there to assist him if there may ever be a problem.
Mentor and senior Jade Margerum agrees.
“We’re not just mentors,” said Margerum. “We’re there so they can have a friend that cares about their success in school and is there for them.”