When Juan Garcia-Hinojosa first considered becoming a volunteer Career Mentor in our Workforce Prep Mentoring Program, he wasn’t sure he would know how to connect with a teenager.
Juan had spent years building his career in the automotive industry. He knew he had professional experience to share, but sitting across from a high school student was different from leading a business meeting.
“My biggest fear was how to connect with a student,” Juan said. “I was wondering if I would say the right things.”
What Juan discovered is something we want every prospective mentor to know: You don’t have to have all the answers to make a difference.
“The most important thing was not to be perfect,” Juan said. “It’s just to be present, listen, ask good questions, show consistency, and show that you care about them.”
Someone Believed in Him
Juan first learned about our program through an email from leadership at his employer, Bosch, encouraging employees to consider applying to be a mentor.
The idea resonated with him. Both of Juan’s parents were teachers, and throughout his own career, he benefited from people who took the time to guide him. What he remembered most wasn’t necessarily the advice they gave him. It was that they listened.
“I know personally that it is very important when someone believes in you, especially when you don’t fully believe in yourself,” Juan said. “I thought I could do this for a student.”
That belief was put into practice when Juan began working with a student named Carlos in our 10th grade program.
Carlos was quiet and overwhelmed, struggling in one of his classes, and rarely opened up when Juan tried to engage him.
Juan kept showing up.
He noticed that Carlos was often the first to arrive and the last to leave. Juan began using those extra minutes before and after sessions simply to talk with him.
Slowly, Carlos began to trust him.
Eventually, Carlos shared that he was struggling with a teacher and having difficulty focusing in class. Rather than trying to solve the problem for him, Juan encouraged Carlos to speak with his teacher and advocate for himself.
At first, he hesitated. So, Juan offered to help.
“No, let me do it,” Carlos told him.
At the very next session, Juan noticed that something had changed.
“I spoke with the teacher, and she understood my situation,” Carlos told him. “Now I’m in the front of the class.”
From there, Juan watched Carlos continue to improve.
“It Was Him. He Did It.”
At the end-of-year celebration, Carlos introduced Juan to his parents for the first time.
“Oh, you are Juan. You are the mentor,” they told him.
They thanked Juan and told him they now understood how important the program was and appreciated what he had done for their son.
Juan’s response captured what mentorship is really about.
“It was not me,” he told them. “It was him. He did it, not me.”
Juan gave Carlos the credit, but his experience demonstrates the power of having a caring adult consistently show up, listen, ask questions, and encourage a young person to take the next step.
Juan believes that is what makes our program different.
“Many students have really high potential, but they might not always have access to someone who can help them,” he said.
Through our Workforce Prep Mentoring Program, mentors help students strengthen their motivation, explore career options, set long-term goals, and begin connecting what they do today with the future they want to create.
For someone considering becoming a Career Mentor, Juan’s advice is simple.
“Please do it. Don’t think about it,” he said. “I think it’s one of the best ways you can bring your experience and your willingness to help into the community.”
For Juan, the decision is even simpler.
“It’s a no-brainer for me.”
Learn more about our Workforce Prep Mentoring Program and how our volunteer Career Mentors help students achieve success.