Looking to improve yourself? Looking to be a role-model? Take a look at UCLA Mentorship Club. Mentorship Club puts UCLA students in a setting where they are each paired with a younger student. These younger students are anywhere from first grade elementary school kids to adolescent teens in high school. The club is based around a series of bi-weekly activity days where the younger kids and UCLA mentors meet out by the Sunken Gardens where they participate in the activities. Each day also presents a theme such as career day or science day. On top of the themed activity days, the club goes on field trips every other Saturday. The club also does fundraising to create scholarship opportunities for low-income graduating high school seniors.
Noah Lopez, a fourth year Biochemistry and Microbiology major, is a member of the club since his third year. When talking about the club, Noah explains, “The club is really great as these kids need someone to look up to and to be so important in someone’s, especially younger, life.” Lopez further mentions, “The UCLA Mentorship Club puts college students in a position that requires a surprising amount of maturity. The opportunities that I got at such a young age to be a role model has been amazing.”
The scheme of the club’s bi-weekly themes is another great factor for the kids. It provides variety so the kids are in a new environment every time. For example, one of the themes was career day. During career day, the club gathered everyone around and brought in special guests from different career paths. Juan, a UCLA Alumni, and also a doctor comments, “Talking to the kids is great. We get to teach them about what we love doing and have it be cool for the kids as well.”
One of the best aspects of Mentorship Club is probably the long-lasting relationship cultivated through the time spent at the club. Noah illustrates the relationship by saying, “It was great. I had a junior in high school, so the atmosphere was a little more mature. Talking to him and giving him advice that I know will help him in the future feels great also!”
UCLA Mentorship Club is an awesome club and one of the most underrated ones at UCLA. Not only does it help the outside community, it also helps develop UCLA students even more. So, if you are looking to be a role model and a greater person, join UCLA Mentorship Club!
