"I think that looking back if I did have a mentor, it would have made maybe not everything but definitely most of the problems I had a lot easier. I didn't know where to turn to when I needed help; I had to find out the hard way with mistakes then I had to learn from my mistakes. It was not easy; it was very hard. I think if I did have someone to turn to at least, I could have avoided the mistakes and I would definitely feel a lot better about myself. I would have a childhood like normal child would; instead I had to take the responsibility of a grown up in my family because I was the only one who spoke English."

--Statement from a Go-Betweener™ college student about why she wishes she would have had a mentor as a 1.5 generation child, and why she wants to volunteer now to mentor a Go-Betweener™ girl.

Why Should You Be a Mentor?

• You experienced the difficulty of acclimating to the United States and would like to make the transition easier for someone else.
• You felt pulled between American culture and that of your home culture. Learning your role between two sets of values, traditions, languages, and expectations was challenging and confusing. You want to make this a positive and empowering experience for someone else.
• You want to build a rewarding relationship with a mentee and make a real difference in his/her life.

What are the requirements? You must:

• Be between 18-50 years old
• Be 1st/1.5/2nd generation immigrant or refugee
• Have reliable transportation
• Speak English fluently
• Speak the target language fluently
• Commit to spend time with your mentee at least twice per month for a minimum of 1 year

Want more information about being a mentor? Download our informative PDF. If you cannot read the PDF, download Adobe Reader for free.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please download and fill out this application and click the "submit by email" button, fax it to 404-292-8458, or send it by mail to P.O. Box 250, Clarkston, GA 30021. If you have questions about this program please contact us.