From Ashkon:
The organization, StudentMentor.org, sprung from my own personal experience of having an outstanding mentor, my former boss in my college internship. My mentor not only advised me on what classes I should be taking, but also helped me to get a job, and to succeed academically. My mentor really went out of his way to tell me what classes were pertinent to the workforce and what I needed to be studying in order to have a better chance of getting hired after graduation.
About Ashkon's Co-Founder Stephanie:
My Co-founder Stephanie Bravo, 25, had a more formal mentorship experience. She was paired with a medical student through a Stanford Medical School mentorship program. Despite being a first-generation college student who was unsure of how to attain her dream of becoming a doctor, her mentor helped her to navigate through the pre-medical pathway. Today, she is attending medical school where she is the chair of the school's minority mentorship program.
Creating a Professional Mentoring Experience for Students:
Our two experiences coalesced around realizing that the knowledge that we gained from our mentors was the exact type of experience that many students in college also need today to get started in their careers. Being in the Silicon Valley, we decided to leverage technology to benefit society and take our experiences to benefit students nationwide. This is what led us to create StudentMentor.org while also identifying and addressing the shortcomings of other mentorship programs.
There is a disproportionate need for mentorship programs specifically tailored to college students. There are some mentorship programs offered mostly to specific sub-groups, but few universities have established wide-reaching mentorship programs.
StudentMentor.org leverages web technology to conduct real time mentorship matches for college students. We offer customized matches where both Mentees and Mentors choose with whom they would like to work, based on the Mentee's goals and what matters most to them. Unlike the status quo, our mentorships offer the flexibility and convenience of meeting either in-person or virtually depending on the Mentee's preferences. We feel that StudentMentor.org offers a unique program that attends specifically to the needs of college students.
