A Community to Educator Pipeline
Academic Mentors support students in classrooms across ARISE every day. The program began with ARISE graduates coming home to support students, and alumni are still the heart of the team. Today it is open to anyone from our community who wants to work with young people and grow toward a career in education.
Mentors bring a second trusted adult into every core class, give teachers more time to teach, and get paid, hands-on experience in schools while many of them take their own college courses.
Born in a Crisis, Built to Last
When classes moved online in 2020, ARISE hired three of our own graduates to help keep students engaged on Zoom by tracking attendance, running the chat, and leading breakout rooms. Students engaged more, teachers felt the work was more sustainable, and the mentors gained job experience while they finished their own college courses.
When students came back to campus, we kept the program, grew it, and opened it to the wider community so more people from our neighborhood could find their way into education.
- 2020Three ARISE alumni become our first Academic Mentors during distance learning.
- 2021The program grows so every core class has a mentor, with regular professional development for mentors.
- 2023A state grant expands the mentor team and connects it to our Education Pathway.
- TodayARISE alumni and community members serve side by side, led by a program leader and three Academic Mentor Leads, in our core classes every day.
A Second Trusted Adult in Every Core Class
Academic Support
Tutoring individuals and small groups, translating for newcomer students, and helping students work through the hard parts of a lesson.
Relationships
Mentors are close in age and experience to our students, which builds the trust and confidence students need to take on productive struggle.
Teacher Support
Guided groups, attendance, copies, grading support, and phone calls home, so teachers can focus on great teaching.
Advisory
Many mentors also serve as advisors, walking alongside the same group of students and families.
Professional Learning
Mentors train on being a warm demander, literacy, math, differentiation, and supporting students with IEPs and 504 plans.
A Path to Teaching
The role is a first step toward careers in education, growing educators who are rooted in Oakland and in the Fruitvale.
Our 2026-27 Academic Mentors
Azaira Aguilar Gomez
Bianca Estrada
Erika Leon
Francis Briones
Hirvin Iglesias
Isaiah Stevenson
Jessica Jamaica
Josselyn Ozuna
Juanita Lemus
Julio Aldaz
Luis Reano
Ramon Neely
Xanthippe Cruz-RosalesAdvice from Our Academic Mentor Team
Our mentors share their best advice for students at the start of the school year.
The Benefits of an Alumni Mentorship Program for Students
Co-Head of School Trevor Gardner on how ARISE built its Academic Mentor program and what students and teachers gained.
Read the ArticleWant to Become an Academic Mentor?
Whether you graduated from ARISE or you are a member of our community who wants to work with young people, we would love to hear from you. Reach out to Jennifer Rodriguez or send your resume to jobs@arisehighschool.org.
Edit here: mentor leads
One line per lead: name | title. Photos stay matched by name; a new person shows initials. This box only shows in the editor.
Brenda Aguilar | Academic Mentor Lead
Aldo Justo | Academic Mentor Lead
Ruby Paredes | Academic Mentor Lead
Edit here: academic mentors
One name per line.
Azaira Aguilar Gomez
Bianca Estrada
Erika Leon
Francis Briones
Hirvin Iglesias
Isaiah Stevenson
Jessica Jamaica
Josselyn Ozuna
Juanita Lemus
Julio Aldaz
Luis Reano
Ramon Neely
Xanthippe Cruz-Rosales
