.jpg)
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.