Going to a new school or starting a new grade can sometimes be intimidating, but having a mentor can make a huge difference—making the student experience as fun and rewarding as possible. Mentors are there to improve the student learning experience, contributing to their students’ personal, professional, and academic development.
By participating in a mentorship program, students can make the most out of their education and are able to develop key skills that can be used in the future no matter what career path they choose to follow. Our mentorship program is designed to help students grow and thrive throughout their time at Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA).
Here’s an introduction of mentorship, to show how it enhances the student experience!
1. Providing Consistent Guidance and Support
At R-MA, every student is assigned a faculty or staff mentor who acts as a point of contact for the family, answering any questions or concerns that might come up during the student’s time at the academy. These mentors are also there to provide their students with consistent guidance and support throughout the entire school year.
Through weekly lunches and forty-five-minute mentoring sessions, students receive personalized insight that can help them grow as individuals and better integrate into their new surroundings. Students can comfortably turn to their mentors for advice to help them navigate social or academic subjects, gaining encouragement while also learning from real experiences. In this way, mentors become valuable advisors and friends.
2. Creating Opportunities for Academic and Professional Development
Mentors are also there to ensure each student’s academic and social success, serving as their advocate on campus while also working with them on action-plans that lead to great achievements and other positive results. During their time at our boarding high school, students can directly benefit from their mentors—who are instrumental in college advising. This will help them gain valuable information that would impact their academic performance and shape their future aspirations.
Research has shown that mentees develop an improved attitude about school while also experiencing higher educational aspirations and college enrolment rates. By relying on their mentor’s assistance, a student can begin optimizing their academic performance in order to achieve their future goals more easily.
3. Experiencing Personal and Character Growth at Our Private Boarding School
In addition to helping students determine their class schedule, mentors provide important advice to make the student experience as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. This includes time-management tips as well character-building practices that contribute to the student’s well-being and success.
In this way, the mentorship program at our private boarding school can help students develop impressive interpersonal and other transferable skills. Having a mentor can also increase confidence and community engagement—as shown in this study, where 67% of mentees participated in clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities. Through the relationship with their mentor, students can begin to thrive, learning how to strategically manage various issues while developing a stronger sense of character.
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