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By Sara Millman, Justice and Legal Thought Scholar
One of the most important things I have learned through my experiences with STARs and MMC is that youth mentoring can and does make a difference in terms of the impact it has on these children and their perspective on their own education.
Hello, my name is Sara Millman, and I am a sophomore Government & Politics and Psychology double major and in the Justice and Legal Thought College Park Scholars Program. Thank you so much for attending the Academic Showcase this year and for stopping by to learn a little bit more about my Capstone Project! This semester I volunteered with the organizations Lakeland STARs (STARs) and Maryland Mentor Corps (MMC). Both STARs and MMC share a common goal in that they both strive to address and alleviate the disparities within the educational system that are experienced by students who come from low-income backgrounds. Within both of these programs, each student is paired 1-on-1 with a college student from the University of Maryland where the tutors help improve the academic skills and learning processes of these children by helping them with their homework, doing journal activities, and organizing personalized educational lessons for their tutees. The core aspect of STARs and MMC and the key factor in what makes these programs so impactful is the individualized attention provided to each student that helps to create a more personalized and efficient learning environment. One of the most important things I have learned through my experiences with STARs and MMC is that youth mentoring can and does make a difference in terms of the impact it has on these children and their perspective on their own education. By creating and fostering mentoring relationships with these students coming from underprivileged backgrounds, college students, such as myself, are able to establish ourselves as a passionate mentor who will always be there on the sidelines to cheer them on and as someone who truly believes in their capabilities. Thus, the genuine influence of youth mentoring comes from its ability to offer such supportive and attentive commitment to a child’s education that they might be lacking somewhere else, ultimately helping them to recognize in themselves, the same potential we see in them.
Hi Sara! Your project stood out to me, as someone who tutored throughout high school. I think it's amazing you got to continue your work of teaching kids how to read. What was it like to work with kids in an online environment?
Hi, Sara!
As a tutor myself, I have to admire this kind of direct engagement with the community. I just have to wonder, how did you adapt to tutoring in a virtual landscape? How are the tutees dealing with that, and do you see any trends arising in education with regards to that?
Hi Sara, What stood out to me from your poster was the opportunity you had working with Lakeland STARs and the Maryland Mentor Corps and the ongoing work you did during your freshman and sophomore years. I'm glad to learn that with the work you did tutoring children and making connections, you have established a defined direction in terms of your future prospects in pursuing opportunities in improving the educational barriers that many students have. What was some of the challenges you faced in this experience and what advice would you give to someone who'd want to pursue this same opportunity?
Hey Sara,
As a member of a multi-ethnic mentorship program at UMD (CSS), your project naturally seemed pretty relatable as far as mentorship-based programs are concerned. The activities you took part in as apart of the Lakeland STARS program sound pretty admirable. Though in my program I am a mentee, your experiences sort of show me how mentors might see their position versus mentees. With your experience in STARS in mind, could you see yourself becoming a mentor towards fellow students at UMD in a similar (but older) program? Fantastic work!
Hi Sara,
I think it's amazing that you were able to not only work with the Lakeland STARs but also with the Maryland Mentor Corps. I think it's amazing that you were able to organize and conduct activities with the students and not just tutor them. Do you think that being granted this liberty impacted you in terms of what you want to do in your professional career? I know you said you'd like to be directly involved with students but you also do enjoy the policy aspect of it.