Mentor
SEO Scholars seeks passionate and dedicated individuals to mentor our talented group of high school juniors. This is your chance to help them navigate the college admissions process and develop the professional skills they need to succeed in the workplace… and beyond.
Our Support
Through a project- and work-based learning mentoring model with a developmental approach, mentors provide feedback, guidance, and a real-world perspective, while supporting the development of critical life skills and self-discovery through career exploration and exposure. This model encourages meaningful relationship-building, allows mentors to share their experiences, and equips Scholars with the tools and confidence needed to successfully navigate the workplace.
Mentors are provided with a goal to complete each session with their mentee. Topics include:
- Beginning the career exploration process, including refining our lists of interests and goals
- Building professional skills and workplace readiness, including soft skills workshops (e.g., interview training and networking practice) and hard skills training (e.g., resume building, data collection, etc.)
- Co-curating and advising mentees on an end-of-year presentation
Your commitment
New York Mentors (180 Mentors)
- Attend 10 Saturday sessions (five per semester) for two hours each in the afternoon (Flatiron and downtown Brooklyn)
San Francisco Mentors (120 Mentors)
- Attend 12 Saturday sessions total, four in person (two per semester) and eight virtual mentoring sessions in either downtown San Francisco or Oakland
North Carolina Mentors (30 Mentors)
- Attend three in-person Saturday Community Day sessions in Greensboro, and seven virtual mentoring sessions throughout the year
Application Timeline
- Applications open in May for SF and NC, and June for NYC
- Applications will be reviewed starting in the middle of June through July
- Rolling interviews from the end of June through September
- Notifications will go out in September
Railyn D., SEO Scholars High School Class of 2018
“From the start, Olivia was determined to help me succeed. She asked me about school and my family and seemed genuinely interested in someone she didn’t even know. She was set on helping me build up my confidence and getting me into a top school, like I had always dreamed of. Throughout our relationship, she has encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, helped raise my SAT score just in time for college admissions, connected me with alumni from the school I’ll be attending, stayed up late editing my college essays, and most importantly, showed me that the circumstances in which I grew up in do not define me or my future. I’m thankful for Olivia, thankful for SEO, and I hope that more adults decide to play the role in a Scholar’s life that Olivia has in mine.”
Evelyn, SEO Scholars, High School Class of 2020
“My parents are immigrants who did not attend college in the U.S. and do not have experience with the college application process. I’m happy to have another adult at SEO to get advice from in addition to my program manager and instructors. I can ask Wes my questions and feel reassured that things will be okay.”
Read Evelyn and Wes’s Full Story Here!
SEO Scholars mentor candidates should be:
- College graduates located in New York City, San Francisco, North Carolina, or Miami
- Willing to submit to a background check conducted by SEO
- Passionate about education and providing opportunities to public high school students
