Become a Mentor
Make Your Mark, Serve Your Community
Puente mentors are working professionals who open doors — sharing their career journeys, lived experience, and time with students who are navigating college for the first time.
Puente mentors typically commit 10–16 hours over the academic year. This includes a mentor orientation/training, a matching event with students, and one to two activities per semester, many of which are integrated into events already happening in the program. Activities may include: reviewing college application essays or personal insight questions, doing a professional informational interview, attending a student celebration and meet their families, or giving feedback on a resume, cover letter, or LinkedIn profile.
Most importantly, a mentor is a companion for the student on their journey, and can be there to support them through challenges and celebrate with them in their successes. A bachelor's degree and a willingness to show up is all it takes. What difference will you make in someone's life?
Share Your Story
Meet with your student mentee through structured activities and events across the academic year.
Expand Their Horizons
Help students explore careers and professional pathways they may never have encountered.
Give Back
Join a community of professionals committed to educational equity for Latinx and first-generation students.
Help a Student Discover Their Path
Our mentors come from every field and background — healthcare, education, business, public service, the arts. What they share isn't a specific career title or a picture-perfect story. It's a belief that first-generation college students deserve the same access to professional networks, candid career advice, and genuine encouragement that others often take for granted.
If you've navigated your own path — especially one that wasn't straightforward — you have something valuable to offer.
Ready to make a difference? Fill out our Mentor Interest Form below and a Puente coordinator will be in touch with upcoming training dates and program details.
You're a great fit if you...
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Hold a bachelor's degree or higher
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Can commit to roughly 10–16 hours across the academic year
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Are open to being matched with a student based on shared values and background, not just career field
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Have a genuine interest in supporting students from Latinx and first-generation college communities
No prior mentoring experience required. Training and support are provided.
The Puente Project is a nationally recognized program supporting first-generation college students through counseling, instruction, and mentoring.
