NBA Foundation: Students have the help they need with iMentor
iMentor was selected as a grant recipient by the NBA Foundation.
With iMentor’s assistance, students and young adults don’t have to traverse the unpredictable journey from high school, through college, to the workforce by themselves.
iMentor is a national non-profit organization that connects and empowers young people through mentors. iMentor matches every student in a partnered school with a mentor. The program starts when the student is in 11th grade and continues for two years after high school graduation.
The NBA Foundation, which is the league’s inaugural charitable foundation focused on creating economic opportunities for Black youth, selected iMentor as one of their grant beneficiaries.
“Celine Patel, iMentor’s chief external officer stated, “Our objective is to establish mentoring relationships that empower first-generation college students to chase their dream college. We have a program manager, a member of the iMentor staff, working in the school. This manager educates on careers, financial literacy, resume building, and everything else we believe a student needs for a meaningful career, which is our ultimate goal. It’s significant that the students learn these skills in the classroom and put them into practice with their mentors.”
Students and their mentors from the iMentor program, which is one of the NBA Foundation’s grant recipients, go to a Chicago Bulls game.
Every week, the students convene online with their mentors and meet in person once a month. If desired, the mentor-student relationship can be maintained until college graduation.
“Mentors, with their specialized knowledge and guidance, can create opportunities for the younger generation,” stated Katie Longofono, the Associate Director of National Development for iMentor. She further added, “Mentors play the role of a cheerleader, always ready to advocate for the students.”
Since its inception in 1999, iMentor has paired over 38,000 students across the nation with mentors. This organization extends its services to students in Baltimore, the Bay Area, Chicago, and New York.
Numerous new initiatives have been launched by iMentor, thanks to the partnership with the NBA Foundation.
“Working in partnership with the NBA Foundation has been fantastic,” stated Longofono. “Our collaboration with the NBA began when we were strategically planning how to better assist students in focusing on their future careers. Over the past few years, we’ve realized that it’s crucial to link college and career. We can guide someone to college, but they might be unsure about their future career path. They might not understand what a fulfilling career entails and how their education directly correlates to it. The NBA has been instrumental in supporting many of our workshops, which include interview techniques, resume writing, LinkedIn updating, personal brand development, and job applications.”
iMentor is present to make a significant impact during major milestones and transition points in a student’s life such as high school, college, and career selection.
“NBA Foundation Executive Director Greg Taylor expressed pride in supporting iMentor’s work. He commended their efforts in establishing strong mentoring relationships for young Black individuals across the nation. He further praised iMentor’s effective model that empowers young individuals with the necessary tools to enroll and excel in college. Taylor expressed anticipation towards the expansion of iMentor’s work.”
Click here to learn more about iMentor and volunteer.
