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Mentor Program Helps Students Make the Grade
Mentor Program Helps Students Make the Grade 9/24/12
CBS 7 News
September 24, 2012
tguinn@cbs7.com
Odessa - The transition from high school to college can be tough for some students, but UT Permian Basin has a program to make that transition a little easier for new students.
The Mentor Program is mostly made up of at-risk students that have been conditionally admitted to the university.
Almost 70 students are taking advantage of the program at this semester and students in the program say their mentors helping them make the grade.
Javier Ramirez is a freshman at UTPB. The business administration major spends most of his free time studying and doing homework; time management skills he learned in the mentoring program.
"You have someone that you can rely on for help if you don't understand something," Ramirez said.
The program helps at-risk students thrive in a college environment. Mentors and their proteges meet once a week to talk about their classes, social life and how they're fitting into the campus.
"The mentors keep track of them and see how they're progressing,” Teresa Sewell, Senior Associate VP of UTPB said. “The mentors turn in a report at the end of the month."
The program has been so successful that this year, they have a record of 69 students.
Other students are now coming in for help.
"Last year about 90% of our students who were int he program actually returned and of those..92% had GPA’s of 2.0 or greater," Sewell said.
Ramirez says the program helps him build relationships and be the best student he can be.
"I can be able to build off that advice so that way i can become a successful student," Ramirez.
The mentoring program is always looking for more mentors and students.
If you'd like to find out more information about the program, call: 552-2127.