We met Dionna* in 2019, when she attended the Yleana Leadership Academy. A dedicated student and enthusiastic camper, she made a strong impression on her teachers and counselors. Anyone who worked with Dionna was impressed with her drive to succeed; it was obvious that this girl was going places!

Dionna was thrilled to be admitted to Wellesley in 2020. She was a first-generation college student from Baltimore, and had worked extremely hard to get into such a prestigious school - in part because it came with a full ride (she couldn't go to school without that support) - and because it was her dream finally come true!  In 2021, Yleana offered Dionna a mentor as part of our college->career transitional mentoring program, and she excitedly said yes!

Dionna was matched with Shayne*, a manager in tech passionate about getting students of color on both management and IT tracks - and the two quickly formed a strong bond. Dionna felt comfortable going to Shayne for advice relating to school as well as issues outside of academia; it was important to Dionna to have a mentor of color so that she could share experiences with someone she knew would understand.

That's when Dionna's mentor, Shayne, stepped in. Upon learning of her situation, he texted Alyssa to see if he could advocate on Dionna's behalf, because of the way she was being treated by her medical provider. Alyssa of course said, "Yes - and let me know if you need backup!" He then penned a beautifully worded letter to Dionna, advocating for her readmission to Wellesley in the fall, detailing her struggles as well as her desire and efforts to overcome them:

I am so pleased that Yleana paired us together as mentor and mentee, as it has been my unadulterated privilege to work with someone so committed to changing and improving their life's situation...Your passion for helping others, who come from equally challenging circumstances, to navigate their post-secondary experience, and drawing upon your own experiences in that space to help inform the advice you provide and the lenses through which you view service to others, is truly commendable... Since becoming your mentor, I have been witness to your growth and development, and can absolutely, unreservedly attest to your readiness to return to college full-time.

When a student becomes a member of the Yleana family, they are family for life. Mentors like Shayne help Alyssa, our year-round staff, our summer teaching staff, and other alums make sure we are all here for our students forever.

And the proof is in what happens when it really matters:

• Shayne and Alyssa are working together to make sure Dionna gets back to Wellesley and papers get in.

• Shayne and Alyssa are writing recommendation letters for Dionna.

• Alyssa reached out to two different sources about getting some new providers for Dionna in Baltimore.

• Rachel is connecting Dionna with mentors to help her find scholarships in MD and MA - where she lives and where she's attending school.

• Alyssa is making sure Dionna feels confident going into meetings with her dean and trying to make sure there's no stone unturned, no other solution that we might have missed.