Hug ASCENT mentee and Harrah’s scholarship recipient wants to inspire others

University of Nevada, Reno 18-year-old freshman and nursing major Charel Elwell never gave up on her dream to attend college, even after she became pregnant before her junior year in high school at Hug.

“I took the whole year off,” Elwell explained. “I took PLATO classes (online), came back my senior year, got help from my ASCENT mentor and graduated with my class. ASCENT gave me the extra push and inspiration to finish school and go to college.”

The ASCENT mentoring program, a partnership of Hug High and the University of Nevada, Reno, assists students in reaching their goal of obtaining a college education by pairing University and community mentors with high school mentees.An initial training session for those interested in serving as mentors will be held at Hug at 1:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 4. At 3:30 p.m., mentors will be matched with students.

ASCENT, which stands for All Students College Educated in Nevada Today, has gone through several changes in the last year. Monika Mala, a Nevada graduate, has recently been hired as the ASCENT coordinator and is housed at Hug. Harrah’s Foundation has awarded another $20,000, in addition to the original scholarship grant of $80,000, to qualified ASCENT graduates, eligible to receive a one-time amount from $500 to $1,500 toward college. These scholarships have already been awarded to more than 30 ASCENT students, including Elwell, who received an ASCENT scholarship for $500 and four other scholarships.

Mentors commit up to three hours a month with their high school mentees, discussing college aspirations and offering guidance on college applications, financial goals and scholarship and career opportunities. Many of the students will be the first in their families to attend a university.

“My mentor has some doctors in her family, so she gave me nursing tips, proofread essays and reminded me of deadlines,” Elwell said. “I had challenges to get here, but I now want to give a girl going through a similar situation the inspiration to do what I’m doing, to not give up because there are so many girls who do.”

On Friday, Elwell will be paired with a Hug High sophomore who has also had a baby in high school.

Those interested in becoming a mentor are encouraged to complete an application online at https://forms.unr.edu/ascent/ . For more information about the ASCENT program, visit www.unr.edu/ascent or contact Mala at monikam@unr.edu or 775-327-5643.

Hug High School, through Nevada A.S.C.E.N.T., aims to send more students to college!

Hug High School, through Nevada A.S.C.E.N.T., aims to send more students to college!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009: September 30, 2009 will be a special day for many students on the Hug High School Campus! That is the day that current sophomores in high school will be partnered with community mentors through the Nevada A.S.C.E.N.T. (All Students College Educated in Nevada Today) program. A.S.C.E.N.T., the creation of UNR President, Dr. Milt Glick, and Hug High School Principal, Andrew Kelly is focused on providing students with the support they need to make it to college.

A.S.C.E.N.T. seeks to partner current 10th graders at Hug with members of the community who want to make a difference by mentoring a student from 10th grade through graduation….and helping them through the investment of time to make it to college. The challenge, as each year has come and gone is the recruitment and retention of interested community members in making this program fly!

Currently Hug High School has 139 sophomores who have a 2.75 GPA or higher. Education Options Specialist, Joseph Garton commented, “What we desperately need is one adult from our community to step up for each student who wants to chase the dream of college!” “Mentors can help the school community make the dream a reality.”

Principal Andrew Kelly, of Hug High School, expressed a great deal of thanks to the University of Nevada, Reno, “Dr. Fabienne McPhail Naples, the Associate Vice President of Student Success Services has been amazing! She and her staff have totally embraced this program, provided ongoing support for mentors, and developed a dedicated website to support mentors and students as they transition to the University of Nevada, Reno.”

Nevada A.S.C.E.N.T. website is: http://www.unr.edu/ascent/

“I truly hope that many people from our community will see this announcement and go to the UNR website to sign up,” Principal, Andrew Kelly stated, “It’s imperative that we come together as a community to help WCSD meet its’ goal of graduating ALL kids college and career ready.”

For more information about Nevada A.S.C.E.N.T. contact:
Joseph Garton at Hug High School at (775) 327-5989 or jgarton@washoe.k12.nv.us
Andrew Kelly, Campus Principal at (775) 327-5601 or akelly@washoe.k12.nv.us

ASCENT mentor program seeks more volunteers - Free training program prepares mentors to assist students toward college

The University’s ASCENT (All Students College Educated in Nevada Today) mentor program needs more volunteers for this year’s match-up. A free training seminar is offered on Tuesday, Sept. 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Great Room on the Fourth Floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union. The mentor/mentee match-up event will follow a few weeks later at Hug High School on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 1:30 until 3 p.m.

Volunteer mentors are paired with a high school student from Hug High and commit one to three hours a month with their high school mentee, discussing college aspirations and offering guidance on college applications, financial goals, and scholarship and career opportunities. Many of the students will be the first in their families to attend a university.

Those interested are encouraged to complete an application and attend the mentor training seminar on Tuesday. Applications are found at https://forms.unr.edu/ascent; RSVP to Angi Brasil at 784-6307 or abrasil@unr.edu by Sept. 4.

The number of Hug graduates continuing on to postsecondary education nearly tripled last year due to the generous investment of time from mentors throughout the community and the University. These efforts have not gone unnoticed, and on Aug. 12, Harrah’s Foundation presented an $80,000 scholarship grant to Hug High School. Hug High ASCENT graduates may qualify for up to $20,000 in educational assistance over a four-year period.

Mentor training will be a great time for old and new mentors to interact and meet each other. A mentor panel as well as workshops on how to communicate with a mentee and how to get them college-ready will give everyone the opportunity to learn about different areas of the program.

ASCENT activities throughout the academic school year include an application and FAFSA workshop, a college shadowing day, a holiday party, a student panel, mentor/mentee meetings and an end-of-year celebration.

For more information about the ASCENT program, visit www.unr.edu/ascent or contact Ellen Houston, counselor coordinator at the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, at ehouston@unr.edu or 775-784-4936.

Recruitment efforts are still in full swing!

Dear Faculty and Staff,

The University is proud to partner with Hug High School in support of the ASCENT mentors program. “All Students College Educated in Nevada Today” is making a positive difference in students’ lives.

We’re currently seeking 100 new mentors for the program and would LOVE for you to be a part. ASCENT prepares high school students for their future in higher education, so who knows, the mentees may one day be sitting in your classroom eager and ready to learn all thanks to the preparation you offered!

Volunteer mentors are asked to commit up to three hours a month spending time with their mentee specifically discussing college aspirations and offering guidance on college applications, financial goals, scholarship and career opportunities. Many of the students will be the first in their family to attend a university. Your ability to ask the right questions, raise the important issues and point them to helpful resources is critical. Our mentor training and resource staff will provide you with all the support you need to be a great mentor.

Our ASCENT program will being this year with training on September 8th from 4pm to 6pm in the Great Room on the fourth floor of the Joe Crowley Student Union at the University of Nevada, Reno. Please RSVP to Angi Brasil at (775) 784-6307 or abrasil@unr.edu before September 7th.

The mentor/mentee match-up event will be held on September 30th. More details to follow.
If you are interested in joining over 100 faculty, staff, alumni, and community members already involved in the program please fill out a mentor application and submit it to Ellen Houston at ehouston@unr.edu or fax it to (775) 784-1402 or call (775) 682-8404 by September 7th. Thank you for considering our invitation.

Sincerely,
Fabienne McPhail Naples
Student Success Services, University of Nevada, Reno

Andy Kelly
Associate Vice President Principal, Hug High School

ASCENT mentor program receives Harrah’s scholarship grant

June marked the inaugural graduating class of the All Students College Educated in Nevada Today (ASCENT) mentor program at Hug High School. This year, with the generous investment of time from volunteer mentors throughout the community and the University of Nevada, Reno, the number of Hug graduates continuing on to postsecondary education nearly tripled.

These efforts have not gone unnoticed. On Wednesday, Aug. 12, Harrah’s Foundation presented an $80,000 scholarship grant to Hug High School. Hug High graduates may qualify for up to $20,000 in educational assistance over a four year period. The Hug High School Scholarship Committee will make all scholarship decisions based on requirements set by the Foundation.

“We are thrilled to see the efforts of our dedicated mentors and our enthusiastic students pay off,” said Fabienne McPhail Naples, associate vice president of the University’s Student Success Services. “Students are seeing what hard work and commitment in school can do.”

Harrah’s Reno and Hug High have a long, successful history. The partnership was the first of its kind in Nevada when the idea was launched as the “Adopt-A-School” program. Over the decades it served as a model for other business-education partnerships, which led to the creation of the Washoe County School District’s Partners in Education program. ASCENT began at Hug as an extended partnership with the University and Washoe County School District in 2007.

ASCENT needs more volunteer mentors for the coming school year. Mentors will commit up to three hours a month with their high school mentee, discussing college aspirations and offering guidance on college applications, financial goals, and scholarship and career opportunities. Many of the students will be the first in their families to attend a university.

Those interested are encouraged to complete an application online at https://forms.unr.edu/ascent by Aug. 28.

“Hug mentees are becoming more involved with school and community activities, with some even creating an all-girls service group called the ‘Dream Girls,’” McPhail Naples said. “The benefits of mentoring students are boundless.”

A mentor training workshop is planned on Nevada’s campus in early September and will provide volunteers with support and resources needed to be great mentors. New applicants will be matched with Hug High sophomores later in September, following the training workshop. Activities throughout the academic school year include an application and FAFSA workshop, a college shadowing day, a holiday party, a student panel, mentor/mentee meetings and an end-of-year celebration.

For more information about the ASCENT program, visit www.unr.edu/ascent or contact Ellen Houston, counselor coordinator at the Center for Student Cultural Diversity, at ehouston@unr.edu or 775-784-4936.

Mentoring college-bound students is a job suited for Superman

Check out my feature article on the University of Nevada, Reno Web site!

I am the media specialist for the University of Nevada, Reno’s Media Relations department. I am a 2004 Nevada graduate, and on Feb. 27, 2008, I volunteered to mentor a Hug High School student in the ASCENT mentor program, a partnership between the University and the Washoe County School District. This is my first-person account of the first five months of my mentoring experience with my mentee.

Read full story...

ASCENT Mentor Workshop right around the corner

ASCENT mentors program needs volunteers

A message from Shannon Ellis-Vice President, Student Services:

The University is proud to partner with Hug High School on the ASCENT mentors program. “All Students College Educated in Nevada Today” is making a positive difference in students’ lives. I am writing to invite you to help us continue this important work by becoming a mentor this fall or next spring.

Volunteer mentors are asked to commit up to three hours a month spending time with their mentee specifically discussing college aspirations and offering guidance on college applications, financial goals, scholarship and career opportunities. Many of the students will be the first in their family to attend a university. Your ability to ask the right questions, raise the important issues and point them to helpful resources is critical. Our mentor training and resource staff will provide you with all the support you need to be a great mentor.

If you are interested in joining over 100 faculty, staff, alumni and community members already involved in the program please fill out a mentor application and submit it to Ellen Houston at ehouston@unr.edu or fax it to (775) 682-8977 or call (775) 682-8404 by July 15th. Thank you for considering our invitation.

Sincerely,

Shannon Ellis
Vice President, Student Services

Hug High sophomores, juniors attend student-training workshop

The ASCENT mentor program assists and keeps Nevada’s students college bound.

One hundred and sixty Hug High School students from the 2009 and 2010 graduating classes are slated to attend a student-training session as part of the University-affiliated All Students College Educated in Nevada Today (ASCENT) mentor program on Wednesday, May 7 from 1:30 – 3 p.m. The training will be held at the Boys and Girls Club at Hug, 2860 Sutro St., Reno.

“The workshop is a great place for students in the mentorship program to mingle, and discuss expectations, goals and communication tactics,” Hug Dean of Students Courtney Klaich said.

Five members of Delta Epsilon Iota, an academic honor society at the University, will share their college experiences and participate in a question-and-answer panel with the mentees during the student-only training session.

“We are proud to be involved with the mentoring program and hope the students gain something from our discussion,” said Delta Epsilon Iota member Ellen Webb.

Community mentors who volunteer for the program are asked to commit one to three hours monthly with a student to discuss college applications, financial goals, scholarships and career options. The partnership’s goal is to help students continue their education and attend a university or community college.

ASCENT is in the second year of a three-year program period with topics that evolve annually based upon the mentee’s individual goals and timelines. The planning committee at the University and Hug High is expanding the program during the next academic year and will match mentors with incoming freshmen.

Volunteers mentoring sophomores are helping prepare them for ACT college entrance tests in June, evaluating proficiency-exam scores, discussing career choices and personal finance management, as well as reviewing weekly report cards and attendance records.

Mentors paired with juniors are helping them prepare for advanced placement and SAT college entrance tests, as well as evaluating proficiency exam scores, submitting scholarship applications, assisting students enrolling for summer school classes, and helping coordinate other summer plans.

Community members who are interested in volunteering as a mentor in the fall 2008 or spring 2009 session should contact Klaich at cklaich@washoe.k12.nv.us or call (775) 327-5604. Nearly 200 volunteers are needed.

Webbing Out

Here I am-yes, speaking on my new-found knowledge of and experience with blogging.

Associate Vice President for the University's Student Success Services Fabienne McPhail Naples welcomed the mentors at each of the two training sessions on April 2. She and the program expressed their appreciation and gave each of us a University coffee mug packed with candy.

Both sessions were well attended and, in my opinion, well received. Many mentors brought questions about the boundaries of the program, anecdotes and success stories, mentoring suggestions, etc.

Specifically, we shared words of inspiration with Dee Hill, an academic counselor at the University speaking about Real World Mentoring: The Challenges and Triumphs of Life.

Then I spoke about the blog with a session titled Webbing Out: On Self-Reflection and Encouragement. I brought along, shared and referred to a current copy of the school's paper, The Nevada Sagebrush, which reported on the many types of social networks and discussed how students like to connect on special interests in an article titled How do you connect? A copy of my blog was printed and made available to each mentor.

Hug High School's Dean Courtney Klaich spoke about Cross-Cultural Mentoring Relationships: Tolerance and Understanding of your Mentee's Background. One of the more controversial issues we may face in this program is the fact of having undocumented students. At Hug High School, there is approximately 60-65 percent Latino Americans, 10 percent African Americans, 10 percent Asian and/or Pacific Islander students and most of the remaining 15-20 percent of the population is White/Caucasian. The Program Coordinator for the University's Center for Student Cultural Diversity Araceli Martinez spoke about the Challenges for Undocumented Students.

Courtney closed the training session with What Every Mentor Needs to Know-Tips on creating safe and trusting relationships: an exercise in patience and communication.

A packet was supplied to all who attended which included a copy of my blog, a recently published mentor article, history and FAQ's about Procter R. Hug High School and the highly coveted Nevada ASCENT Mentor Training Handbook 2008.

Future events and training sessions are in the works-but for now, every mentor is still encouraged to meet with their mentee at least once a month. The end of the semester is nearing and many of them should arrange to sign up for summer school classes.

New Associate Vice President for Student Success Services

Fabienne McPhail Naples became the University’s associate vice president for Student Success Services March 3.

After being in Reno and employed at the University only a month, she says, "I love it here." And you know what, we love her here too and are so fortunate to have her as one of our fearless leaders of the ASCENT mentor program.

Read more about Fabienne and her involvement with ASCENT and the many other Student Success Services programs.

An empathetic trailblazer tackles student concerns, Nevada News, University of Nevada Web site, April 2008.

The lost art of being mentored

I found a mentor-related article at Tactics and The Strategist Online and it will appear in the April issue of the PR Tactics newspaper.

If you've ever questioned your role or influence as a mentor or if you question the motives of your mentee, take a moment to read the thoughts of a sesasoned mentor and heed his very instructive tips-enjoy.

What's it all about? The lost art of being mentored, March 20, 2008, Tim O'Brien. [click here]

Save the Date: mentor training sessions now available

Fellow Mentors — the organizers of the ASCENT mentor program are listening. They have heard many of us first-timers cry out, "What do I do as a mentor; how do I create a trusting relationship; what if my student doesn't show up to our session?"

Because of our loud crys (and mainly because we all want to see these students excel), they are now offering two mentor training sessions! Yes -- 2 Mentor Training Sessions!

The sessions are available to both Year 1 and Year 2 mentors (trained collaboratively, not separately) and are intended to be inspirational, educational and fun!

On Wednesday, April 2, choose between two session times.
Session I: 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. or
Session II: 4-5:30 p.m.

Where: University of Nevada, Reno, Down Under Cafe, 55 Artemesia St., enter south side of Cafe.

They would love all of our thoughts and suggestions and are continually compiling a list of "hot topics." Please respond to Courtney Klaich at cklaich@washoe.k12.nv.us if you have some burning questions that you'd like to be addressed at this training or at future sessions.

RSVP to attend one of the two sessions by calling the Student Success Services office at (775) 784-6307.

As a reminder, this is a mentor training event designed specially for the adults - do NOT bring your student.

If you have not yet signed up to be a mentor, contact Courtney at her email listed above or by calling her at (775) 327-5604.

Get to mentoring!

Who is my mentee?

For those who have been waiting to hear--I met with my mentee and...

she is a very beautiful, ambitious, prideful and driven individual. I look forward to meeting with her again and assisting her along the path toward higher education.

She is now preparing and studying for her Proficiency exams, scheduled for testing the first week of April. We will meet again after her tests and discuss what she found most interesting and most challenging.

We will check back in soon...

Save the Date: first mentor meeting scheduled

I will be meeting my mentee this Wednesday and finally finding out more about her.

The expectation of ASCENT volunteers is for us to meet on the high school campus, where a certified faculty member will be present. However, it has happened in the past that mentor relationships have extended to involve the parents. At that point it would be up to the parents to give permission for an off-campus meeting.

For now, we will meet at the high school, but I hope our mentor/mentee relationship does expand to a friendship level and that I can serve more of an active role in her life. I would eventually like to bring her to the University campus, show her the amazing new student union building, have her shadow a student photographer (darkroom and all), introduce her to active and influential students/club members, set up a tour for us to go to the local newspaper press, and whatever else she'd like to see or do.

Sophomore year in high school can be a very special but vulnerable time in a person's life and I hope to help shape the mold of my mentee's future that will eventually reflect a successful student and accomplished person.

Joining the ASCENT mentor program

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, I attended a ceremony where more than 140 mentors and mentees met for the first time at Hug High School in Reno, NV for the match-up for All Students College Educated in Nevada Today (ASCENT).

The ASCENT program at the Reno school pairs successful members of the community with high school sophomores to help students reach their goal of attending college. We are asked to commit one to three hours monthly with our mentee to “motivate, guide and inform;” providing them with resources and knowledge that can help them pursue their dreams of higher education. After completing the three-year program, many of the students will be the first in their families to attend a university.

Many of us working at the University of Nevada, Reno were called to action by an e-mail University President Milt Glick sent to faculty and staff.

The inaugural ASCENT program, based on a model started by the Gates Foundation in Seattle, was introduced to northern Nevada last year and the partnership between the school and the University produced 160 pairs of mentors/mentees. Program coordinators try to place students with mentors who have similar interests.

Upon arrival and check-in for the event, mentors were handed green folders that included the mentee application, conversation topics, calendar/appointment sheets for the next three months, a University resource contact list, a step-by-step brochure guide on college preparation, and a playing card.

I giddily examined the contents of the folder to find out about my match. The aqua-blue pen she wrote in on her mentee application revealed her interests of photography, computer technology and history, with academic challenges presented by chemistry and geometry. The application also divulged what she hopes to gain from the mentoring experience-simply stated-to know how to succeed in college.

I was so looking forward to the next few minutes when I was to be introduced to my mentee. After a brief introduction by Hug High Principal Andy Kelly and Hug Dean and Event Coordinator Courtney Klaich, mentors and mentees were let loose to find their match, identifiable by the one who held the same playing card (I had the 8 of clubs).

Students and professionals were quickly matched up and so began the first of many conversations to hopefully be had in the next three years.

Unfortunately, my match was sick this day and we have yet to meet up. We have been in touch via email and are still working on coordinating our schedules for our initial gathering.

I plan for this blog to be a platform where I can share my mentor experiences and help influence others to get involved.

More mentors are needed for the approximate 20 students who remain on a waiting list. To sign up or for more information on the ASCENT program, contact Hug High School Dean Courtney Klaich at cklaich@washoe.k12.nv.us or call (775) 327-5604.

Take some time to read about the program through the following articles:

• Mentors aim to help students achieve goals of college, March 2008
• Reno Magazine, Sept. 2007 issue, pgs. 54-55
• New mentor program offers opportunities for higher education, Feb. 2007