January is National Mentoring Month and PSP joins the campaign to celebrate our mentors! PSP pairs highly qualified mentors with motivated scholars. This allows students to enrich their lives with new experiences and have a guide through their academic and personal lives. We are so grateful to all of our mentors for their dedication to PSP and our scholars. They are making a difference by giving their time! We asked our scholars to reflect on their relationships with their mentors and you can read their responses and photos they’ve shared below.

We asked our scholars about the impact their mentor has made in their lives and here are some of the responses:

• “I’m glad to have a great mentor who is always there when I need him. My most memorable trip I had with my mentor was going to Washington, D.C. I had an amazing time and shared great moments with my mentor.” – Sergio G., El Monte

• “My mentor is a person I strongly appreciate due to the time she dedicates to us. She guides us by doing the smallest of things, such as giving us heedful advice toward our everyday problems, giving us hindsight about topics that we sometimes wonder about, and foremost, she makes us see the potential we have as great achievers. For all of she has done, I am grateful and glad to have a mentor like her.” – Jessica P., Lennox

• “My mentor is an amazing, supportive mentor. She is always happy around us, and with my other mentees. We always have fun in our outings, and can count on her for support. I thank her for giving us a fun experience as a PSP scholars.” -Julissa S., El Monte

• “I was blessed enough to have two mentors that truly cared about me and took me in as their own. Ms. C took Emily & I in seventh grade up until freshman year. During that time she considered us family (introducing us to her mom, nieces, etc) as did we. Now I have Joanna M. as my mentor. It’s so awesome to have someone fresh out of college because I’ve received an inside look at different scenarios that may occur after I graduate. Joanna always encourages us to never hesitate an opportunity for success and I love her for that.” – Patty L., El Monte

• “In life have a mentor that is like a mirror and a shadow: a mirror that’s always there no matter what or who doesn’t lie,and a shadow that never leaves. Mentors are like diamonds, bright, beautiful, valuable and in style. That she is a diamond in the rough. A person that is now a family. An important place in my heart. A guide, rescuer, adventurous, and a person with a big heart!” Kinza R., Lennox

• “My mentor Jeanette is important to me because she is always there for me and she is very supportive. I have enjoy doing thing with her because it different almost every time. But my favorite thing that we have do together was go to San Francisco because it was my first big trip with her and we did a lot of things. Like go to Alcatraz, walk around China town, and go to Coit Tower. She is a really fun person and she is a great mentor.” – Daniela A., Fort Bragg

• “Jessica is important to me because she inspires me to explore the world and learn new things. My favorite outing with my mentor was going bowling and going to the tallest building in LA. I’m excited for mentor appreciation month!”- Jennifer H., Lennox