September 2022

Summer/Fall 2022 Update

So much has happened since our last newsletter in April! In this issue, learn about these exciting new developments at `A`ALI`I Mentoring:

1st Cohort Year End Celebration 🥳
📣 Introducing the 2022-23 AM2 cohort! (photo below)
NEW Year 2 program for AM1 Mentees
Welcome to New AM Team Members
Mahalo Moment 🤙🏽

1st Cohort Year End Celebration 🥳

After 10 months of connecting in person at 1:1 mentoring meetings, learning about budgeting, careers, and effective communication during Group Meets, and building relationships through service activities, conversations, and everything in between, `A`ALI`I Mentoring’s pilot Mentees and Mentors (now called the AM1 cohort) ended the program with a fun celebration. Even though not all participants could attend, we are thrilled that all of the Mentees and Mentors successfully completed the program.

`A`ALI`I Mentoring (AM) aims to support young people from underserved communities to pursue higher education and complete their degrees. Thanks to the generous support of individual donors and grants from organizations, AM awarded to each Mentees, scholarships of up to $1,000. AM is also happy to report that six of the seven Mentees have re-enrolled in the fall semester, two at UH Manoa and four at KCC. (The seventh Mentee is moving out of state.)

AM’s program is designed to help establish a long-lasting mentoring relationships and expand each participant’s network of friends and connections. Over the summer, our Mentees and Mentors alike kept us updated about their travels, jobs, and staying in touch with their Mentor or Mentee. (Photos above: Fun at end of year party and scholarship presentation; Vianca in Ireland on a summer study abroad at the University of Dublin; Cameron at her summer job at Subway; Amanda visiting family in VA; Kaimana at his summer job at the movie theater)

📣 Introducing “AM2” 2022-23 Cohort!

On August 13, 2022, `A`ALI`I Mentoring welcomed 12 new Mentees and 12 new Mentors at the half-day kick-off orientation for the 2022-23 program.

How did we get here? A pool of 25 highly qualified, compassionate, and enthusiastic volunteer mentors were recruited and interviewed in May and June, ready to be matched with mentees. In addition, all mentor candidates completed training online. The mentor candidates were impressive, hailing from career backgrounds such as business, education, engineering, finance, healthcare, hospitality, law, marketing, nonprofit, real estate, social work, and technology. The life stories that they shared in their interviews were powerful, filled with the trials, tribulations, and successes of lives fully-lived.

With the help of partner organizations and programs, AM received 27 mentee applicants who came from underserved and under-resourced communities on Oahu. Many were first-generation college students, first-generation immigrants or both. Interviewing the applicants was heartwarming and inspiring as they shared their journeys, struggles, and hopes. Selecting the final 12 mentees from the pool of talented and deserving applicants was difficult, but AM could only support a maximum of 12 while still maintaining a rich and meaningful experience for the cohort. Below is a brief profile of this year’s cohort, known as AM2 Mentees,

7 women and 5 men, ages 18 to 24 years old
5 first-generation immigrants and non-native English speakers
6 attend Kapiolani Community College (KCC)
4 attend UH Manoa (all transferred from KCC or HCC)
1 attends Honolulu Community College (HCC)
1 is on a gap year hoping to return to HCC
Areas of study include: carpentry, earth sciences, education, engineering, environmental science, liberal arts, media arts, pre-med, and psychology

Each Mentee was presented with two anonymous mentor profiles. All of the mentor candidates would have made great mentors, but, it was left for the Mentee to make the final decision of who would best fit their needs.

AM2 Mentees and Mentors met for the first time at the August 13th orientation, a half day filled with icebreakers, team building activities, and 1:1 activities for the Mentees and Mentors to jumpstart their relationship and for the entire cohort to get to know each other. By May 2023, `A`ALI`I Mentoring hopes that the AM2 cohort will have melded into a true ohana, just as the original pilot AM1 cohort has.

NEW Pilot Year 2 program for AM1 Mentees

In the spring, AM1 Mentees asked if there was a program for them in the following academic year. This was a strong validation of the pilot program’s success and the `A`ALI`I Mentoring model that Cathy and Grace developed. With careful thought and planning, as well as, input from AM1 Mentees and Mentors, AM is launching a pilot Year 2 program this September. Continuing to support Mentees for another year is consistent with `A`ALI`I Mentoring’s mission to support young adults earn their degrees. The Year 2 program will consist of the following:

Group Meets only
Feedback surveys
Grant Opportunities for Mentees for tuition, study abroad, or internship stipends

The Year 2 program will differ from the Year 1 program in two significant ways. First, there will be no monthly 1:1 meeting requirement, and second, there will only be six Group Meets instead of nine in the Year 1 program. The “lighter” Year 2 is due to AM’s recognition that Mentees can maintain their Year 1 mentoring relationships on their own. Also, Mentees are better prepared to navigate the higher education landscape after Year 1, needing less formal support.

Continuing the Group Meets is important because Mentees recognize that they still have more to learn regarding personal finance, career readiness, interpersonal communications, and other “adulting” skills. Year 2 Group Meet topics will build on the foundation from Year 1 and dig deeper. Group Meets offer an opportunity for AM1 Mentees and Mentors alike to remain connected to the cohort, providing support and serving as a resource. AM will also broaden its support for Mentees by offering grant opportunities which can have a meaningful impact on reaching their educational and/or career goals.

Welcome to New AM Team Members

`A`ALI`I Mentoring is happy to introduce its two newest team members, Nancy Kim and Isabel Wong, who joined as part-time volunteers in July. Nancy is working on social media, marketing, and events as the Communications and PR manager; while Isabel is focusing on programming and curriculum as the Community Programming specialist. We are so grateful to have them be part of our team!

Mahalo Moment 🤙🏽

A new recurring feature at our Group Meets and newsletter updates is the “Mahalo Moment.” A Mahalo Moment is when we pause, take a break from all the activities, thoughts, and general busy-ness in life to reflect and voice what we are thankful for. In this update, we’d like to give a special MAHALO to the following organizations for providing scholarship and programming support:

The Kaneta Foundation
American Savings Bank
Friends of Hawaii Charities
Servco Foundation (photo below)
Ananda Fund Hawaii of the Hawai`i Community Foundation

We also want to acknowledge and express our deepest gratitude to the individuals and families who believe in `A`ALI`I Mentoring and have provided generous financial support and important resources that are critical in making AM’s work possible.

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