IMMOKALEE, Fla. — With the start of school just one week away for most students in Southwest Florida, incoming freshmen at Immokalee High School are about to begin a special journey through the Guadalupe Center's mentorship program.
The program pairs freshmen with volunteer mentors who will guide them through their four-year educational journey, providing crucial support that many first-generation college students might not otherwise receive.
Click here to see Immokalee Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with Senior Director of College and Career Readiness.
"All these little obstacles you come across, whether it's the registrar needs a bill paid or something to deal with and navigate... we have those folks that'll be there with them, talk them through it, help them. They always have someone they can call," said Jim Ragusa, Senior Director of College and Career Readiness at Guadalupe Center.
Ragusa said the mentors often become like extended family, creating connections that last a lifetime.
Programs like this make a meaningful difference in students' lives as they navigate their educational paths.
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