What if a few hours a week could change a student’s life…and yours?
At Minds Matter Southern California, we believe every student deserves someone in their corner, and that someone is often a volunteer. People like you who bring their whole selves to the table. Our volunteers come from all backgrounds: different cultures, careers, ages, and life experiences. What they share is a belief in the power of potential and the idea that every student deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Whether you are drawn to one-on-one conversations or feel more at home supporting behind the scenes, there is a role here that fits you. And more than a role, there is a community built on empathy, equity, and joy. A place where showing up for students also means being seen, supported, and celebrated yourself.
Explore the roles below to discover how you can make a difference today.
Let’s Connect.
It starts with a conversation. Take the first step and sign up for a chat or come meet the community.
Find Your Way to Make an Impact
Every role is an opportunity to change a life. Discover the perfect fit for your skills and passion.
MENTOR
Be the Mentor You Once Needed
Support students as they navigate academics, life, and the path to college.
CONNECTIONS FACILITATOR
Lead with Heart in a Connections Circle
Create a safe space for students to reflect, share, and build emotional wellness.
COLLEGE ADVISING
Guide Students Through the College Journey
Help students navigate the college search and application process with clarity, confidence, and care.
COLLEGE WRITING COACH
Help Students Find Their Voice
Support students as they turn their lived experiences into powerful college essays — and build confidence along the way.
This is Why it Matters
Because your presence can change a student’s path, and your own.
Each volunteer plays a unique part in helping our students succeed. Your support becomes part of their story, and often, part of yours too. You’ll help students gain confidence, discover their voices, and believe in what’s possible. But the impact doesn’t stop there.
Many of our volunteers say they came to give back and left with something they didn’t expect: a stronger sense of purpose, a deeper connection to community, and the reminder that small, consistent acts of care can create powerful change.
If you’re looking for a meaningful way to spend time, build relationships, and be part of something that lasts, you belong here. You don’t need to have all the answers. Just a willingness to show up, listen with empathy, and walk alongside someone as they grow.
Changing Lives, One Story at a Time
Mentorship isn’t just an action. It’s a story. These voices reveal what it truly means to make a difference.
“Getting involved with Minds Matter has certainly been the most rewarding and gratifying experience since graduating college. Being able to share and use my personal academic background as a learning tool to help promising students like Marvin reach their full potential is beyond wholesome. I have genuinely enjoyed every moment of the journey and look forward to seeing Marvin – whom I view as a little brother – and the rest of his peers go on to make this world a better place.”
Daniel
“Being able to mentor driven students and help them achieve their goal of attending college has been very fulfilling—and doing so with an organization laser-focused on making a difference has made volunteering even more rewarding!”
“I am inspired by Marcus’s hard work and dedication to his education and value the opportunity to, in some form, contribute to his success while building a life-long relationship.”
Amiyr and Alex
“My participation in Minds Matter gave me the opportunity to help a promising young man articulate his unique story of growing up a bi-racial male in South Los Angeles. Once he was able to articulate who he was, it was about helping him to find the right types of experiences– summer programs, after-school programs, tutoring– that would set him up to be able to tell his story to college admissions officers. I look forward to being a part of Brandon’s life for decades to come.”
ReidMentor
As a Minds Matter mentor, you’ll be more than a volunteer; you’ll be a trusted guide, a consistent presence, and a champion for a high-achieving student. You’ll work alongside a co-mentor in a small group (a “quad”), helping your mentee build confidence, develop life skills, and navigate high school and the college application journey.
You don’t need a background in education, just the willingness to show up, listen deeply, and share your own college and life experiences. Many of our mentors say they’ve grown just as much as their mentees through this experience. Relationships often last far beyond the three-year program, continuing through college, graduation, and even weddings.
Mentoring isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about showing up with heart, embracing growth together, and helping your mentee turn challenges into opportunities.
Time Commitment: ~2–3 hours per week from August through May. This includes attending at least 80% of Saturday sessions (12:15–2:30 PM) and a brief weekly check-in with your quad.
Support & Belonging: You’ll be paired with a co-mentor and supported by a team of leads, coaches, and staff.
You’ll Love This If: You value deep relationships, enjoy showing up consistently, and want to make a lasting difference in a student’s life.
Impact: “Young people with mentors are 55% more likely to enroll in college.”
Mentors often say, “This is the most meaningful part of my week.”
Over 90% of our students graduate from four-year colleges, and mentors are a big reason why.
Connections Facilitator
As a Connections Facilitator, you’ll co-lead a weekly social-emotional learning (SEL) circle for a small group of high school students. These Saturday morning circles are intentional spaces where students practice self-awareness, connection, and community-building through guided listening and reflection.
You don’t need to be a counselor, teacher, or expert. In fact, facilitators aren’t there to fix anything, you’re there to hold space. We value vulnerability, presence, and the ability to model authentic listening.
You’ll collaborate with your co-facilitator and team to create welcoming spaces where students can share their stories and build critical life skills like empathy, communication, and resilience.
Time Commitment: ~2 hours per week from August through May. This includes attending a two-part summer training, 80% of Saturday sessions (9:00–10:00 AM), and 1.5-hour monthly facilitator meetings. An additional hour per week is recommended for planning.
Support & Belonging: You’ll receive training, planning support, and be part of a close-knit facilitator team.
You’ll Love This If: You’re a reflective, empathetic listener who values emotional growth, community, and authentic connection.
Impact: Connections helps students build emotional literacy and community; strengthen their voice, agency, and self-awareness, and feel seen, heard, and valued in a space where they belong.
College Advising
As a Minds Matter College Advising Lead, you’ll serve as a strategic guide and steady presence for a small cohort of students as they navigate one of the most complex parts of their educational journey.
You’ll support a group of ~6 students, guiding them through every stage of the college search and application process — including transcript and extracurricular reviews, building balanced college lists, developing application strategies, and exploring scholarships and financial aid options.
This role is both practical and deeply relational. You’ll help students identify their strengths, own their stories, and gain confidence in their decision-making, while creating a supportive environment where they feel seen, heard, and encouraged.
Time Commitment: 2-3 hours per week, including in-person Saturday afternoon sessions once per month during peak advising seasons (March–May and September–November)
Support & Belonging: You’ll receive guidance, resources, and ongoing support from the Director of College Advising and program leadership, and work in close partnership with mentors and staff.
You’ll Love This If: You enjoy guiding students through complex processes, value organization and planning, and have experience with college advising or admissions.
Impact: For many students, a College Advising Lead is the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling prepared. Your guidance helps students apply with intention, advocate for themselves, and step into college with confidence.
College Writing Coach
As a Minds Matter College Writing Coach, you’ll be a listener, encourager, and trusted guide during one of the most personal parts of the college journey.
You’ll work with 2–3 students from junior spring through senior spring semester, supporting them through personal statements and supplemental essays. Writing Coaches help students find their voice, gain confidence in their ideas, and see writing as a tool for self-discovery and self-advocacy. You’ll offer thoughtful, constructive feedback, ask reflective questions, and guide students in shaping essays that feel true to who they are.
Time Commitment: ~2 hours per student per week during peak periods (March–May of junior year and August–January of senior year). Writing Coaches attend in-person Saturday sessions at least 3x per month during busy seasons.
Support & Belonging: You’ll receive guidance, resources, and ongoing support from program leads and staff. You’ll be part of a community that values empathy, reflection, and care, and understands the responsibility of holding students’ stories with respect.
You’ll Love This If: You enjoy writing, storytelling, or coaching others through the creative process and want to make a tangible, personal impact during the college application process.
Impact: “My writing coach really fostered my writing to a new level. I am confident that the essay I wrote with his help is my best essay yet.”
“My writing coach always prioritized my ideas, allowing me to truly express myself, building on my ideas, not the other way around.”