Counseling Help and Assistance Necessary for College Education, or CHANCE students in need of assistance should consider a mentoring program offered by the same office.

“I really want a mentor because I need some advice,” said Sonserae Boyd, a freshman psychology major and CHANCE student.

The office provides free mentors to any first year CHANCE student that needs advice through the program.

Mentors must be second year CHANCE students, be in good academic standing and be willing to give back to the program, said Susana Das Neves, head of the mentoring program and CHANCE counselor.

“Mentors are students with good role model skills that can assist new students to adapt to college life; basically support and advice from a student’s perspective,” Neves said.

Mentors do not get paid; it is strictly volunteer work, Neves said.

CHANCE director Leroy Mitchell said a lot of students come through CHANCE because they were unsuccessful in high school. It is nice to hook them up with former CHANCE students that were successful, he said.

There are about 100 students that use the service and 45 mentors throughout the semester, Neves said. Every mentor works with two to three students.

Neves assigns mentors to students and the mentors then contact the students to set up a time to meet.

The CHANCE mentoring program is located in Williston Hall and has been helping students for six years. The program is certified by the College of Learning and Reading Association, Neves said.

CHANCE is geared toward students who did not have average grade point averages or ACT scores in high school. The program gives the student another chance to be in school.

Rosa Campos, a Spanish language and literature major and CHANCE mentor, said being a mentor is a good experience. She likes the challenge of helping students because she wants to be a teacher.

CHANCE students who desire more information about the mentoring program can call 753-8080.