Mentoring program helping Black high school students prepare for college success
A Chicago-based organization is tackling the problem of the falling number of Black men attending college by mentoring young Black men while they're still in high school.
The rate of Black men going to college plunged by more than 21% in 2021, according to an analysis by the Chronicle of Higher Education, causing many people to notice and take action.
A Chicago organization focused on helping high school students pursue a college education is teaching students the skills to succeed at the next level.
Dominican University sophomore Tycree Watson has some lofty career goals.
"I hope to go into politics, and hopefully be the president of the United States," he said.
But right now, he's learning about finance. When he was in high school, Watson took mentoring classes from OneGoal. Their mentoring program helped him get into college and succeed now that he's there.
"I think mentorship allows for people to see different paths in which they wouldn't see," Watson said.
Barrington Price, CEO of Dominican University's Chicago campus, said "The university system hasn't necessarily been designed historically for marginalized communities to experience success,:
Price said Watson is a good example of the benefits of mentoring.
"Mentoring is really helping students become aware of their skills and interests, their abilities; and navigating that into some career trajectory," he said.
OneGoal offers mentoring classes at more than 30 public schools in Chicago.
"Sadly, there's an overlap between race and resources. So Black students are far more likely to attend low-income or high-poverty schools," said OneGoal CEO Melissa Connelly. "But if we can make sure students have the knowledge about which colleges are best, which colleges have the programs that lead to the careers that they want, which certification programs can open up the most job opportunities for them, then students make good decisions."
Decisions that could one day lead Watson to the White House.
"The OneGoal mentorship gave me an idea and the concept of it's okay to reach out, it's okay to ask for help, and it's okay to receive help from others, and you don't have to rely on yourself to do everything," Watson said.
OneGoal's mentorship programs are available to all students regardless of gender or ethnicity. It offers classes across the nation.
