Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, I volunteer with a wonderful mentoring organization called iMentor. I was initially drawn to the program because their e-mail-based mentoring structure allowed me to get involved even with a hectic schedule. In the seven years since my first apprehensive e-mail to Ludnie, then a junior at Brooklyn International High School, I have enjoyed countless meaningful exchanges with five students from four different public high schools. Ludnie has since graduated from college and is involved in rebuilding efforts of her native Haiti. Shujing, another former mentee, is so grateful to iMentor that she donated $15 through my donor page last year while she was still a student at SUNY Stony Brook; she graduated this past semester. Angie, who had been my mentee for the past three years, is thriving at Bronx Community College and will be transferring to a four-year college soon.

I keep coming back to iMentor because the positive impact of the mentor-mentee matches are real and noticeable. It is amazing to have a young person open up to you about their hopes and fears, their daily struggles, and their vision for a better tomorrow, just based on mutual participation in the iMentor program. As happy as I am to dish out advice on achieving academic success or navigating the college application process, it has been my mentees who have inspired me to persevere and strive to be the person I want to be.

I am currently paired with Paulina, a junior at Civic Leadership Academy in Queens. She is constantly challenging my preconceptions as we establish the bonds that will guide us through our three year match.

Please help me reach my fundraising goal by making a donation today. Your contribution is greatly appreciated and enables iMentor to continue their important work.

Thank you,

Morika

To learn more about iMentor, visit www.imentor.org

ABOUT IMENTOR
iMentor provides youth in underserved communities with college-educated mentors who help students develop the leadership, academic, and social skills needed to graduate high school college ready and succeed in college.

Mentors send one weekly email on a topic that iMentor provides and meet their mentees once a month at a group event that iMentor organizes. This year, 2,400 New York City high school students will work one-on-one with their mentors to build a bright future.

Want to learn more? Check out what it takes to become a mentor.