Nonprofit iMentor celebrates 10 years of helping Chicago high school students reach their goals

A nonprofit organization known for helping Chicago high school students reach their life goals is celebrating a milestone this year.

The group iMentor is celebrating its 10th anniversary, providing mentorship to students at schools on the city's South and West Side.

The program pairs 11th and 12th-grade students with dedicated mentors who help students navigate what comes after high school, including college, careers, and everything in between. The program is in partnership with Chicago Public Schools and serves nearly 1,000 students across the city.

One mentee, Breyun Haynes, 18, is headed to Southern University and A&M College in the fall. Before she heads off to college, she's getting some key life lessons at Crane Medical Prep High School, such as balancing funds, with help from the iMentor program. She also needed help deciding which college she wanted to go to.

"With the point of views from other adults who actually did go out of state and actually went to a university that I want to go to, it helped me provide a final answer on what I wanted to do," she said.

Her mentor, Rani Williams, was a big influence in that decision.

"Being able to be supportive of her, be somebody to be able to give her feedback on her ideas and goals has been really helpful for me as well, as I think I've seen her feel like she gets benefits from it as well," Williams said.

The program's 10-year milestone reflects both the program's growth and enduring mentorship.

"It's been really great to be a part of that growth. When I started, we were with five schools, and we've now grown into six, and it's because people are noticing us. Schools are noticing us and seeing the impact that it brings to the classroom," said Alondra Convarrubias, iMentor program manager at Crane Medical Prep High School

iMentor volunteers are in the schools three times a week and work with students once a week.