NYC public schools’ iMentor program teams up with CUNY schools to ensure students go to faculty, graduate in 4 years

NEW YORK — The largest mentoring program in the New York City public college system has teamed up with two CUNY schools to ensure students not solely go to faculty, however graduate inside 4 years.

CBS2’s Alecia Reid went inside Lehman College, the place a whole lot of students are a part of the Alice Griffin CUNY Scholars Program.

With courses beginning every week from Thursday, 200 younger individuals met for the primary time due to COVID. They had been tutored by volunteers from iMentor, a nonprofit that helps youngsters get by way of highschool. Now, a $1 million present from iMentor’s founder helps them attend faculty, and so they’re getting prepped for what’s to come.

“These students need support, they need guidance, they need cheerleading, and that is why we’re really happy to provide this for them,” stated Scott Millstein, government director of iMentor NYC.

Yarys Lopez is a first-generation faculty pupil. The 19-year-old comes from a single-parent family the place money is tight. She, and different students, get between $1,000-3,000. She credit iMentor for the place she is now.

“If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be in college at all. If it wasn’t for the scholarship, I wouldn’t be here either,” she stated.

Lopez graduated from a highschool that struggles with attendance and the place students face socio-economic challenges. Those schools are focused by iMentor in order to break the cycle. Some students even get reduction funds when payments are backed up.

(*4*) Lehman sophomore Carlos Morales stated.

The founding father of iMentor launched the program in honor of his mom, who taught at Lehman for over 40 years.

Now, these faculty students have comparable ideas of giving again to others dealing with comparable challenges.