“First, they’re in a cocoon, and then they come out of it, and then they soar,” said Lara Arias, student coordinator for El Centro.
Luis Martinez understands the terror of leaving your cocoon and the ways a solid support network can help. It’s why he chose to become a mentor for the program, finding space between working full time and earning a master’s in social work to reach out to younger students.
Meaning butterfly in Spanish, the name Mariposa speaks to the metamorphosis many go through while facing college for the first time. When Martinez went through that transformation, it was his fraternity that was his support network, “we’re all Latinos and my brothers were Latinos. I had a support system because I went to school in the Bay Area. I don’t know any different dynamic.”
Now, he wants to provide the same thing to students at Cal State Monterey Bay, starting at the official launch party held last week. “[The college experience] could be very scary and lonely at times, I have already gone through it so I can hopefully provide insights on what I’ve found out the hard way,” said Martinez.
The program began last semester with student coordinator for El Centro Lara Arias, as a way too “connect Latino students to Latino faculty and staff on campus.” Mentors and mentees were paired by everything from major to shared interests.
Mentees have access to their assigned mentor whenever they need, as well as monthly sessions where they can connect with their peers as well.
First-year student Marissa Moreno signed up because it reminded her of a similar program at her middle school. Facing her first year at college, she likes the idea of having backup. “I do like knowing that there’s someone out there that can help me throughout my career and throughout my first year,’ Moreno said.
But like a butterfly eventually leaves its cocoon, she also hopes she’ll move past the program eventually, clearing the space for new students.. “I won’t need it later on, you know, probably like junior, senior year,” said Moreno.
Still in its infancy, the program has mostly spread through word of mouth. But it is already rapidly expanding beyond its original scope. The staff has doubled from only a single student coordinator to two, and the number of mentees from around ten to over 60.
With only ten mentors in total, they are having trouble sharing the load, and any interested mentees will have to wait for next semester.
But newly appointed student coordinator Franciso Pena encourages them to keep an eye out, “Look into it for next semester. It’s going to be every semester that we post some mentorship program. It’s a growing program, and it’s only going to get better. We’re only going to have more benefits to give out to the mentees professionally as well as academically.”