High school mentorship program engages, prepares prospective students

by Kaitlin Van Loon and Alex Fernando

The College of Journalism and Mass Communications High School Mentorship Program is an opportunity for high school students to build an early connection with the CoJMC while they’re in the process of making their college decision.

High school students who submit an application for the program are paired up with a CoJMC ambassador who best matches their areas of interest. For six weeks, ambassadors conduct weekly meetings and often continue the meetings after the finished timeline, if the student desires.

“The meetings are designed for ambassadors to learn more about what the prospective students are looking for in their college search, while the high school students get to see what classes and programs are like for a student at CoJMC,” Alex Fernando, assistant director of CoJMC recruitment, said.

Ambassadors plan various activities and mini-projects related to their mentee’s interest areas; like designing a social media graphic for the Super Bowl or performing a social media analysis on a favorite brand.

The activities aren’t too time consuming for either student, but they’re engaging and give the high school students an idea of what their experience might be like at CoJMC. Ambassadors also help prepare students for what they might need going into freshman year; such as setting up a LinkedIn profile, updating resumes and cover letters and creating a portfolio to showcase the projects they’ve been working on during the mentorship.

Future CoJMC student Grace Malcolm from Sacred Heart School in Falls City is a mentee in the 2023 cohort and is enjoying her mentorship with ArianaJoy Cobler, a CoJMC ambassador and sophomore broadcasting and journalism double major. 

“It’s been an amazing experience so far,” Malcolm said. “My mentor ArianaJoy has been so great with listening to and learning about my experiences and working one-on-one to get me prepared for college.”

For her first project, Cobler had Malcolm create a mood board that showcased her goals for the next year in order to practice soft skills like time management, decision making and creative thinking.

“I’ve been on many visits to the CoJMC and every ambassador I’ve talked with has been super personable— this mentorship program is just like that,” Malcolm said. “I have enjoyed learning how to start creating the best future for myself that I possibly can and I’m excited to work on more projects with ArianaJoy."

It’s Cobler’s first time in a mentorship role, as it is for many of the ambassadors participating in the program, and she’s excited to continue working on her leadership skills.

“It’s refreshing to see prospective students show enthusiasm and excitement toward the program,” Cobler said. “My mentee, Grace, has been practicing essential skills that are prepping her for her future collegiate career and I’m glad to provide her a safe space to express her questions and concerns about becoming an undergraduate student.”

There are 22 high school students from five different states participating in the 2023 CoJMC Mentorship Program and all 18 ambassadors are participating as mentors.

Following is a list of the CoJMC ambassador team, listed alphabetically by last name, with their major(s) and hometown: