Two Lives Changed: The Power of a Mentor with Greg Dibb

First-generation college students face many challenges unknown to those who have parents that graduated college. Readiness for college requires academic and practical knowledge that can be hard to obtain without guidance. Finding a mentor, like Abner did through the Reach Foundation, can make a tremendous difference for first-generation college students, and also benefits the mentors as well.

Greg began mentoring Abner when he was in high school. They spoke weekly, which helped Abner discover his potential and build trust in Greg. Greg’s favorite way to help Abner was editing personal essays. “When I helped Abner with essays, I learned about defining moments of his life. I learned he worked at Great America theme park, where he rose to be a supervisor. I learned things about his family life that shaped him.” 

Abner successfully graduated high school and received the Reach Foundation scholarship. Now, he is a statistics major at the University of California Davis. Throughout the years, Greg answered academic questions, helped Abner choose where to go to college, and even helped him select a major. Greg smiled as he shared that “Now, as a junior in college, Abner seems much wiser, and I seem less helpful.” They still communicate to this day, but Abner’s questions are more career-focused.

Greg juggles mentoring for the Reach Foundation with family life, a busy career, and more - but finds great value in it. “Spending my time as a mentor for the Reach Foundation isn’t a net-plus or a net-minus experience, because it’s spent on the worth of a person, which is invaluable.” May the relationship of Abner and Greg remind us that the worth of a person is reason enough to serve.

Find out more about how you can make a difference in the life of a first gen student of color as they become the first in their family to get a bachelor’s degree.  Follow us on LinkedIn or send us a message on our website.