
Mentors and Parents
The mentor’s role:
Mentors are another source of help in the overwhelming process of getting the student into the best technical institute or community or four-year college or university, with the most financial aid.
The parents’ point-of-view:
- This new mentor is a stranger
- Can I trust this mentor with my child?
- Is my child going to look up to the mentor more than me?
- Will this person come between my child and myself?
The mentor’s challenge is to address these issues in a non-threatening way. Be clear that mentors are not there to interfere in any way with parental decisions nor to replace them.
- The parents’ level of involvement varies;
- Finances are often private, be sensitive in this area.
Some parents may adopt the mentor as:
- Their mentor
- A friend
- Reliable source of help
The best relationships between parents and mentors are those which focus on how to work together to ensure the students’ success.