College Advising Mentor Specialist

IMPROVE YOUR TOMORROW•Merced, CA

8d•$26 - $36•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 college. Its vision is for men of color to be overrepresented in higher education, underrepresented in the criminal justice system, and leaders in their communities. IYT’s core values are Character, Service, Teamwork, and Liberation. 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 on-campus presence and responsibility for the daily IYT experience. The specialist connects students and their families with the path to college and serves at an assigned local school campus in the Merced, California area. The role includes individual mentorship, study hall, structured Brotherhood programming, family engagement, academic and college-readiness monitoring, and detailed recordkeeping. For 12th-grade students, the specialist coordinates college-readiness milestones and completes a documented warm handoff to the College Completion Mentor Specialist before graduation. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; some weekends, evenings, and organization-wide events are required. Travel is up to 25%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university.
Commitment to IYT’s mission, vision, and values.
Demonstrated commitment to equity and supporting young men of color.
Strong relationship-building skills and the 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.
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, including the ability to inspire and encourage others to accomplish goals.
Ability to act with appropriate transparency and vulnerability to engender confidence and trust.
Computer skills with G-Suite, Microsoft Suite, Zoom, and Salesforce.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in Spanish.
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 students across all grade levels on the site roster.
Own and operate open and structured study hall on designated programming days, keeping the space welcoming, structured, and purposeful.
Lead structured programming at the site, including the full Brotherhood experience, its rituals, and the Member Development Workshop.
After every mentorship session, contact the student’s family to affirm growth, share a success, or invite them to an upcoming opportunity.
Lead quarterly family engagement touchpoints: Q1 Orientation/Welcome, Q2 Milestone, Q3 Mid-Semester, and Q4 Celebration.
Monitor assigned students’ GPA, A–G and college eligibility progress, and attendance.
For 12th graders, coordinate FAFSA/CADAA timelines, college applications, and senior readiness 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; promptly surface concerns to the Associate Program Director.
Track and document grade-level milestones, including FAFSA/CADAA completion, college applications, intent to enroll, orientation, registration, declared major, education plan, and counselor connection for 12th-grade students.
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 contact or a scheduled follow-up.
Capture and submit regular site content, including photos, short videos, student stories, and program moments, with required consent and release documentation on file.
Perform additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

Medical benefits
Dental benefits
Vision benefits
Life and AD&D coverage, 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 in total