Bryan nonprofit seeks to connect high school graduates with mentors as they prepare for college

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -Graduating high school and rushing off to college can be a daunting task, especially for first-generation college students.

The nonprofit I Heart Bryan is working to ensure local students are on track to succeed in their post-high school education endeavors.

Research from a Strada-Gallup poll found that “a mentor who encourages a student’s goals and dreams” is the single most important factor in whether a college graduate finds success in work and in life.

The program is called “Journey Together” I Heart Bryan wants students to have a support system as they navigate their first year of college but to do this the group is seeking mentors from all backgrounds and levels of education to pair with scholarship recipients.

Andrea Alvarado is the team leader for the initiative. She says she knows firsthand the struggles college can bring.

”I understand some of the struggles and the anxiety that comes along with having to go to college and filling out different kinds of applications and having to do different kinds of writing and you know homework. You don’t really have anybody to ask for guidance and not because your parents or guardians don’t care but because they just don’t have that experience,” said Alvarado.

For more information on the Journey Together Initiative click here.

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