Tomales High School seeks college grad mentors

Tomales High School is looking for a few college graduates to help show students what the possibilities are for their future.

The school, through the Shoreline School District, is looking for mentors to work with high school juniors. The commitment is light and the job simple, but the results can be phenomenal.

Mentors simply communicate once a week with their student, talking to them about college and helping prepare them for what, for most, is a huge step.

“Some of our students have no clue how to get into college, or even if it is possible,” says Becca Bishop, the head of the Shoreline Community Mentors Program. “A mentor can make all the difference.”

While the commitment is only to talk to the students once a week, often by phone, many mentors go further, meeting with the students and getting to know about their individual situations.

Bishop said mentors have come from varied backgrounds from real estate to doctors. Many are retired. The only requirement is that they be college graduates.

A unique aspect of the Shoreline program is the students’ annual field trip to Southern California, where they spend a week visiting from eight to 10 colleges. Last year, 20 Tomales High students made the trip.

“It gives the kids a chance to see what it could be like on a college campus,” Bishop said.

Persons interested in the mentor program at Tomales High School can contact Bishop at becca.bishop@shorelineunified.org.