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Youth Network inspires high school students

Adan Chavez speaks to participants at the Fourth Annual Youth Mentoring Action Network Fundraiser held at the Claremont University Consortium Saturday. The fundraiser helps pay for the future tuition of participating high school seniors planning to attend college. The program also provides mentoring services to assist students in their college search and help them meet their goals. After expressing his gratitude, Chavez reminded the audience of the importance of the program and scholarships for all students involved. Chavez received the scholarship last year and will be attending UC Riverside’s College of Natural Sciences this fall./photo by Daniel Torres
Adan Chavez speaks to participants at the Fourth Annual Youth Mentoring Action Network Fundraiser held at the Claremont University Consortium Saturday. The fundraiser helps pay for the future tuition of participating high school seniors planning to attend college. The program also provides mentoring services to assist students in their college search and help them meet their goals. After expressing his gratitude, Chavez reminded the audience of the importance of the program and scholarships for all students involved. Chavez received the scholarship last year and will be attending UC Riverside’s College of Natural Sciences this fall. / photo by Daniel Torres

Taylor Bolanos
Staff Writer

The Youth Mentoring Action Network held its fourth annual fundraiser to raise college scholarships for high school students Saturday at the Claremont Consortium.

The organization focuses on guiding high school students on the path to college as well as providing them with mentors and broadening their knowledge on particular subjects. The network also trains other schools to mentor students.

“Mentoring is critical, because forming relationships is what motivates people to do things,” said Torie Weiston, University of La Verne alumna and founder and director of the network.

Weiston has taught for 11 years. After realizing how many of her students at Etiwanda High School did not have plans after graduation, she created the Youth Mentoring Action Network.

With the support and assistance of many others, including La Verne alumni and Etiwanda faculty, the organization has grown immensely.

At its core, the organization is based around guiding teens and taking knowledge beyond the confinement of a lecture.

Weiston said the most rewarding aspect of what she does is seeing students meet their goals.
The Youth Mentoring Action Network has changed the lives of high school students by helping them create plans for themselves.

“This gave me more drive,” said Blue Andrade, 17-year-old senior at Etiwanda High School. “Before, I didn’t know a thing about applying to classes.”

The nonprofit has helped students, like Andrade, find mentors and plan for college.

With this organization to guide them, students have many resources for assistance, like the College Application Bootcamp that is held every summer.

“This program gives you more clarity of what you can do based on your characteristics,” Andrade said.

Andrade said he is more at ease now that he has a structured plan and goals that he wants to meet. He hopes to become a teacher in the future.

“When I look back on my life, wherever I may be in the future, I’ll just look back to this,” Andrade said.

“(The organization) kept me on the right track, and did not let me fall,” Chris Barton, 17-year-old Etiwanda High School senior, said.

At the College Application Boot Camp, Barton worked on a personal statement, a resume and received a letter of recommendation from his former English teacher, Weiston herself.

At the boot camp, students take tests to better understand their interests and discuss college applications in detail.

Now, Barton dreams of studying at UC Berkeley to become an anesthesiologist.

He also has a better understanding of himself and others.

“I can see different qualities in people,” said Barton. “They see qualities in me that I don’t necessarily see.”

“The word ‘network’ is integral to everything we do,” said Adan Chavez, 18-year-old freshman at UC Riverside and last year’s scholarship recipient.

Students and mentors form connections and gain skills necessary for their future.

Chavez plans to major in the life sciences field and continues to play a large role in event planning for the Youth Action Network.

For more information and the opportunity to donate, visit mentoringactionnetwork.org.

Taylor Bolanos can be reached at taylor.bolanos@laverne.edu.

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