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QCC Mentoring Hosts Kick-Off with Greatest Number of Matches in Program History

October 2020

QCC student mentee Ramona Reed credits the QCC Mentoring program with giving her the skills to become a stronger person. Ms. Reed was the student presenter at the virtual October 13 QCC Mentoring kick-off event. In addition to Ms. Reed, other speakers included President Dr. Luis Pedraja and keynote speaker Board of Trustees Chair Sue Mailman.

Over 160 mentees and mentor attended the event that focused on the power of mentoring. QCC Mentoring matches QCC students with staff, faculty, and professionals from the Greater Worcester Community to build one-on-one mentoring relationships. The relationships focus on academic encouragement, professional skill building, and social connections.

Mentors who sign up will meet once per month with a QCC student for the duration of the academic year. The program also has core partners, which are organizations or companies that commit to sending 10 or more mentors to participate in the program. Core partners receive several key benefits, including onsite mentor training and recruitment, and a dedicated pipeline of mentees in a chosen field. This year, in addition to core partners, AbbVie, the City of Worcester, UMass Memorial Medical Center and the Hanover Insurance Group, the mentoring program has added two additional core partners, Cityblock Health and the Worcester County Bar Association.

“We started the semester with 141 matches, and still have several mentors and students on the waiting list. That is the largest group of matches we have had yet,” said Director of Mentoring Gabe Santner.

Ms. Reed, who faces difficulties with her hearing, described her experiences in the program and how her mentor was able to not only support her, but also understand the difficulties she had with communication and adjust accordingly.  She said her mentor encouraged her to pursue to goals and when she questioned herself, her mentor was there to encourage and cheer her on.

“My mentor never gave up on me. This program empowers you not just as a student but as a person to overcome so many obstacles in your life that sometimes hold you back,” she said.

Ms. Reed wants people to know how life changing a program such as this one is to students, noting the many people she has met through the program both at QCC and outside of QCC. She described a job interview that she had shortly after the pandemic began and said if it wasn't for the support of the mentoring program and her mentor, she might never have taken that chance. 

Ms. Reed, who has been a mentee since 2019, encourages other students to consider being a part of the program.

“I started off not sure of the mentoring program, but now I am absolutely sure the mentoring program helped me to evolve into the person you see right now. This program will make you a better person if you allow it to; if you give it your all you will see the benefits of it,” Ms. Reed said.

To learn more on how to be a mentee or a mentor, visit QCC Mentoring Program.  

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