MentorNet at the White House

I write to you from Washington, D.C. where MentorNet was honored to speak to this year’s winners of the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring. We were also invited to the White House on Friday to honor Champions for Change for Women/Girls in STEM (one of whom is our newest Board member, Dr. Bobby Schnabel, Dean of Informatics at Indiana University. Congratulations Bobby!).  The most gratifying thing of all was that many of the women at both events were former mentors or protégés of MentorNet.

All this glory means that the nation knows and is grateful that MentorNet is working, which in turn means that you – our mentors and protégés and the relationships and generosity you show each other -- are part of a vital national mission.
But the truth is, beyond your incredible commitment of time and generosity, we still need your help.

This year MentorNet opened its program to all students studying STEM at the university level, whether or not a campus sponsored us, because we felt the need to build a diverse, intrepid engineering and science workforce is more critical than ever, and to leave any student’s talent “on the table” is a terrible loss.  The response from an additional cadre of volunteer mentors has been incredible.

However, though we were helped in planning and preparing for this mission by the Carnegie Corporation, the Bechtel Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the students we’re mentoring are completely unfunded.

I am personally asking that you hit the “DONATE” button above or on the front page of this newsletter.  If everyone reading this gave at least $10,  (tax deductible!) we would be able to go forward with this ambitious mission without worry that we’ll leave students stranded.

Thank you for your past and future generosity. Here’s wishing you a wonderful and joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year!

David Porush, CEO