07/08/2021
By Matthew Hurwitz

River Hawk Scholars Academy (RHSA) is launching the third year of our mentoring program which will pair RHSA students with UMass Lowell faculty and staff members who are either first-generation college students themselves OR first-generation student advocates. Mentors and mentees will meet a minimum of seven total times during the academic year, including a virtual launch event on Sept. 28 and a final celebration in the spring. Prior experience mentoring is not a requirement to participate in our program (though prior RHSA mentors are encouraged to continue in our program).

As a mentor, you can expect to:

· Make a direct and positive impact on a first-generation college student
· Learn from your mentee about their strengths and their trailblazing story as the first in their family who would complete a four-year college degree
· Support a first-generation college student with persisting in and completing college

Mentors will attend:

· the Mentoring Launch Event dinner on Tuesday, Sept. 28 from 6-7:30 p.m.
· the End-of-Year Event (April TBD).

New RHSA mentors will also attend either:

· a one-hour virtual mentoring training session (date TBD), or
· if they are unable to make that time, watch the recording of that session.

This training will be run by Senior Associate Director of Multicultural Affairs Amy Liss. (Returning mentors need not attend/view though they are welcome to do so.)

If you are interested in this opportunity, fill out the survey no later than July 27.

We will use this information to help pair you with a mentee, to shape mentor training, and to produce demographic data for reports about our program. If you have additional questions or comments, you can email Rosanna_Inirio@uml.edu or Matthew_Hurwitz@uml.edu.