Page 23 - LIN November 2022 Issue

MENTOR

CONNECTS

THROUGH

SHARED

EXPERIENCES

‘I was in their shoes’

by Dawn Montecalvo Ashely Nieto, Miguel Lopez and Juan Lopez

Hollywood celebrates rags to riches stories in which the lead character defies the odds to achieve One of those opportunities is Guadalupe
his or her dreams. In every script, there is that one individual — often a family member, teacher, Center’s strong partnerships with colleges and
neighbor or coach — who offers inspiration, guidance and motivation. universities across the country. All 27 seniors
in Tutor Corps’ Class of 2022, including
For Miguel Lopez, an 18-year-old, that indi- “I was in their shoes 10, 15 years ago,” said Miguel, are attending college this fall. In many
vidual was Juan Lopez. Although the two are Juan, a 2011 graduate of Immokalee High cases, university administration, Guadalupe
not related, they share a deep connection wor- School. Center and donors create financial packages
thy of a blockbuster film. Juan drew on personal experiences with that make college affordable for every student.
Miguel was raised in Immokalee, the third his mentor as a youth to create conversations In fact, many graduate with no debt.
of five children. His family’s focus was meet- that would help Miguel succeed in college and Guadalupe Center is recruiting mentors
ing the necessities of life—food, shelter and beyond: time management, selecting a major, like Juan who are willing to share their insights
clothing. Neither of his parents completed campus life, setting a budget and dealing with and guidance with high school students.
their formal education, so planning and pay- adversity. Mentors come from a variety of professional,
ing for college seemed overly ambitious. “It means a lot to me that my mentor was educational and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Meanwhile, Juan’s story was not much actually raised in Immokalee,” Miguel said. “Every individual, from corporate execu-
different... it just happened a decade earlier. “Knowing he has literally been in my shoes tives and retirees to teachers and first respond-
He, too, grew up in a low-income household. and has returned to our hometown to pay for- ers, had to overcome some sort of challenge
College wasn’t an expectation. Yet, he had a ward what he has learned inspires me every along the way,” said Daniel Martinez, direc-
dream to work in the financial industry. As a day to keep working hard.” tor of Tutor Corps’ high school program.
high schooler, Juan participated in Guadalupe Miguel started college this fall and is “Mentors need to be willing to share their sto-
Center’s college-preparatory Tutor Corps Pro- studying biochemistry at Arcadia University ries and offer lessons learned so their mentees
gram, which provides students with academic in Pennsylvania. He hopes to become a phar- can learn from those experiences.”
guidance, scholarship assistance, financial maceutical researcher. Activities for Tutor Corps mentors include
literacy and wages for tutoring children in Miguel’s success story repeats itself daily a dinner with mentors, mentees and parents, a
Guadalupe Center’s educational programs. at Guadalupe Center. Students come in with cultural event and a picnic. Face-to-face com-
He was admitted to the University of South the odds stacked against them. Under the tute- munication is encouraged, but many mentors
Florida and spent the next four years pursuing lage of Guadalupe Center staff and mentors rely on text, telephone, Zoom and email to
a finance degree. like Juan, students overcome the odds by using maintain dialogue.
Now 30, Juan manages a $60 million port- high-quality education to create endless oppor- Mentors play a significant role in the lives
folio as a commercial lender for Regions Bank. tunities for themselves and their families. of students and demonstrate that college —
Two years ago, he moved back to Immokalee “You might have a difficult upbringing or and their dreams — are within reach for stu-
full-time and returned to Guadalupe Center — circumstances, but anyone can be successful if dents in Immokalee. I hope you will consider
this time as a Tutor Corps mentor working they take advantage of the opportunities given mentoring. Our students benefit from your
one-on-one with Miguel. to them,” said Juan. experience and talents.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dawn Montecalvo is president at Guadalupe Center, which provides educational services to more than 1,750
students annually in Immokalee. To learn more about mentoring opportunities, please visit GuadalupeCenter.org
or call 239.657.7711.

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