Mentor Profile: Prenita Bajaj - The Importance of Mentorship
Written By: Tanvi Bajaj
In early 2022, Bay Area finance manager and mom of two, Prenita Bajaj, became a mentor with the Reach Foundation. Her goal: to help students through the college application process that she knew, through witnessing her daughters’ experience, was extremely complex and frustrating. What she didn’t realize until becoming a mentor was just how uniquely challenging this experience can be for first generation low income students–many of whom don’t have the resources most of us take for granted.
“Being the first one in your family to go to college means that you don’t get access to a lot of familial resources that most people take for granted. You just don’t get the at-home guidance that so many of your non first generation counterparts have.”
Instead, being low-income means that the only resources these students have access to are the ones freely provided through their public high schools–resources that don’t have the bandwidth to fully support even just one child. For young people unfamiliar with the process, applying to college can be a daunting task–filled with barriers strategically placed for already disadvantaged groups. There are so many aspects of the college application process that most people often don’t consider: things such as accessing tax forms to fill out the FAFSA, paying for AP exams and SAT tests, and even just learning about potential scholarships can be so difficult without the right resources.
In addition, Prenita explained that one of her biggest learning experiences was understanding “just how little you have to do to really make an impact. All I’ve been doing is meeting my student for one hour once a week. But the change in her has been astounding.” The effect that just one person who wants to help can have on a student trying to build their future is so wonderfully impactful. Having someone be invested in your success can completely redefine the way you look at your life and the possibilities your future can hold.
“Just having someone that listens to you and helps you prioritize can be such a meaningful thing”, Prenita explained, describing how she was able to witness an exponential increase in her mentee’s motivation regarding going to college. For a student, working with someone who really believes that you can and should go to college can be a total game-changer. And that’s why the importance of mentorship truly cannot be understated.
All this to say that mentorship is genuinely so crucial for the success of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. A big problem is a lack of knowledge and the Reach Foundation’s mentorship program actively removes that hurdle. This program provides mentees with adults who are willing to find the information that they need to accomplish their goals and support them in their post high school aspirations.
Prenita finished by explaining her gratitude for being able to work with the Reach Foundation and hopefully changing the way her mentees view their future. “It’s beyond what I ever imagined it would be. This mentorship program could definitely increase a student’s chance of thinking about college, going to college, gaining access to vital scholarships, and just overall planning for their future.”
Get involved! Join us in making a difference as a mentor with The Reach Foundation. Learn more.