Operation Jump Start is looking for Long Beach residents who want to donate their time, knowledge and hard-earned truths about high school and college to low-income, first-generation students on their journey to higher education.
The Long Beach nonprofit was established in 1994 to help under-resourced first-generation students reach their full potential through a range of free resources. Among the programs they offer—tutoring, college tours, counseling, events, scholarships and more—Community Outreach Coordinator Chelsea Chamreuon says the mentorship program is by far the most impactful.
“It’s very much an organic bond that the mentors and mentees foster,” Chamreuon said. “I think of it as sort of a big brother, big sister type of thing because you’re there to support them on their college and educational journey, but you’re also just giving them a trusted adult to spend time with. You’re helping them develop a sense of self [by] giving them a safe space.”
Operation Jump Start helps its students mostly by pairing them one-on-one with volunteers for a minimum of one year and three years maximum, with an emphasis on exposing the student to new experiences and broadening their horizons. Mentors are expected to spend a minimum of six hours per month with their student, but the hours are set by whatever works for both mentor and mentee.
The program helps 250-350 students from grades eight to 11 each year to reach their educational and personal goals.
“Relationships can really look like however you and your student want it to look like,” Chamreuon said. “There are sort of goals and expectations that we have, but how you meet them is going to be different for every pair.”
Mentors, who must have a college degree and be at least 24 years old, typically spend time with their students by taking them to new places they wouldn’t be able to experience on their own, such as museums, hikes, community events and university tours. Pairs are expected to fill out a survey or updates on how the relationship is developing each week, which helps Operation Jump Start to learn about each student and their needs.
Along with showing their students new experiences, mentors are also expected to talk to their students about their college aspirations and help them narrow down what they might be interested in and how it can help shape a career. Since students in the program are all first-generation, meaning they are the first in their families to attend college, many enter the program without any prior knowledge of how the college application process works.
As of 2022, one-third of all college students identified as first-generation, according to the Center for First-Generation Student Success. However, the same institution found that only 21% of Generation Z students are first-generation.
“When your parents have not, or nobody in your immediate family has been to college, it’s just a complete enigma,” Chamreuon said. “You probably aren’t thinking about it as early as somebody who has the advantage of college [graduate] parents with degrees.”
Although the mentorship program does not follow students into their college lives, Chamreuon explained that many mentors continue the relationship with their students in informal measures, making sure they are acclimating and answering any questions that arise during their college years.
Students are offered free counseling services from interns who are attaining their master’s degrees in social work throughout the duration of the program, though Chamreuon said that the services are mainly utilized by students once they start college and need someone to talk to.
Operation Jump Start grants scholarships to its students beginning in the eighth grade, saving up each gift for once the student graduates from high school. The scholarships continue each semester when a student is attending college.
Mentors and their mentees are continuously invited to the free and fun events that Operation Jump Start hosts for its members, including surfing classes, ice skating, bowling and game nights.
“We’re constantly having new students join the program, so therefore there’s a constant need for mentors,” Chamreuon said.
Long Beach residents who are 24 years old and older with a college degree can apply to become a mentor through Operation Jump Start’s online application.
