College Advising Mentor Specialist

Improve Your Tomorrow•Merced, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT), founded in 2013, works to increase the number of young men of color who attend and graduate from colleges and universities. Its mission is grounded in the values of Character, Service, Teamwork, and Liberation, and its vision is to build a college-to-community pipeline while combating academic inequities. The College Advising Mentor Specialist is the primary relationship-builder, college advisor, and college-going culture builder for students in grades 9–12. Under the FY26/27 restructure, the role is the senior site-based leader for daily programming, with a consistent presence on campus every school day and responsibility for students’ daily IYT experience. The specialist connects students and their families with the path to college and supports student mentorship, academic progress, family engagement, and college readiness. This is a field-based position at an assigned local school campus. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; some weekends, evenings, and organization-wide events are required. Pay is $26.00–$35.57 per hour.

Requirements

Commitment to IYT’s mission, vision, and values.
Ability to self-motivate to achieve results.
Ability to multitask and work under pressure.
Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and produce quality results.
Excellent communication and management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate others toward their goals.
Ability to operate with an appropriate and responsible level of transparency and vulnerability, building confidence and trust.
Demonstrated commitment to equity and supporting young men of color.
Strong relationship-building skills and ability to connect authentically with students, families, and school partners.
Commitment to meeting students where they are and building relationships before asking anything of them.
Strong case-management instincts, including the ability to track, follow up, and document a rolling caseload.
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
Computer skills with G-Suite, Microsoft Suite, Zoom, and Salesforce.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in Spanish is strongly preferred.
Bachelor’s degree preferably in education, social work, youth development, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior site-based leader for daily IYT programming and maintain a consistent, visible presence on campus every school day.
Provide one-to-one mentorship to all grade levels on the site roster.
Own and operate open and structured study hall on designated programming days, maintaining a welcoming, structured, and purposeful space.
Lead structured site programming and the full Brotherhood experience, including the Brotherhood Clap, Creed, Family Love, announcements, energizer, and Member Development Workshop.
Complete a family touchpoint after every mentorship session to affirm student growth, share a success, or invite the family to an upcoming opportunity.
Lead quarterly family engagement touchpoints: Q1 Orientation/Welcome, Q2 Milestone, Q3 Mid-Semester, and Q4 Celebration.
Monitor student GPA, A–G and college eligibility progress, and attendance across the assigned caseload.
Coordinate FAFSA/CADAA timelines, college applications, and senior readiness for 12th graders with the College Completion Mentor Specialist.
Introduce every senior to the College Completion Mentor Specialist by spring semester and document the required warm handoff before graduation.
Log mentorship sessions, programming attendance, and family touchpoints in Salesforce within 24 hours.
Maintain current academic records for each student, including GPA, A–G and college eligibility progress, attendance, and D/F flags; raise concerns to the Associate Program Director in a timely manner.
Track and document 12th-grade milestones, including FAFSA/CADAA completion, college applications, intent to enroll, orientation, registration, declared major, education plan, and counselor connection.
Maintain accurate intervention notes and academic recovery plans for students with D/F grades or a GPA below 2.0, including follow-up actions and progress.
Complete end-of-week Salesforce logging and review students not yet seen to ensure each member has received contact or has a scheduled follow-up.
Capture and submit regular site content, including photos, short videos, student stories, and impactful program moments, to the Associate Program Director; ensure required consent and release documentation is on file.
Perform additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life and AD&D insurance, with additional voluntary options
Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
403(b) retirement plan with a 3% employer match after one year of employment
Sick leave
Two weeks of accrued paid vacation leave
Eight paid holidays
Additional paid time off during select school breaks (about three weeks of additional PTO in total)