We are thrilled to launch the Fall 2026 mentoring season, marking our 16th year of dedicated mentoring with Austin Independent School District (AISD), Lockhart Independent School District (Lockhart ISD) and Del Valle ISD (DVISD)! This year, our program proudly serves students across nine schools: Four high schools and two middle schools in AISD (Northeast HS, Travis ECHS, LBJ ECHS, Lively MS, and Garcia MS), two middle schools in DVISD (Dailey MS and Ojeda MS), and one middle school in Lockhart ISD (Lockhart MS). To ensure our mentors are ready, we held our annual Mentoring Kickoff Retreat with both new and returning mentors on October 16th, where they engaged in essential training and team building for the year ahead.
Our leadership is strong this season with our Mentoring Team Coordinator, Clint Lafuente, leading our Site Coordinators: Celine Norman, Alaiza Mata, and David Del-Sid Saavedra. Our mentoring curriculum is structured around our five core pillars: Student Identity, Leadership, Fellowship, Health and Wellness, and College, Career, and Military Readiness. In their weekly sessions, site coordinators and undergraduate mentors facilitate workshops that encourage students to develop skills they wish to implement in pursuit of their goals. Sessions also focus on utilizing student’s strengths while consistently striving for academic excellence.
The commitment of our undergraduate mentors is the backbone of Project MALES. Many of these student leaders are first-generation college students who share similar backgrounds with the students we serve. They view this work as an opportunity to give back and encourage secondary school students to pursue higher education. Beyond the Kickoff Retreat, mentors are continually learning throughout the year in the ELP 111S IMPACT service-learning course.
The learning and engagement with our student mentor does not stop there. Project MALES has an adjacent student organization, SOL: Sustaining Ourselves as Líderes, led by Brenda Breceda, which provides a platform for returning mentors to connect, socialize, and foster a community rooted in shared values. Project MALES also hosts Pláticas, where we facilitate meaningful interactions with keynote speakers and mock mentoring sessions. During Pláticas, mentors share their experiences and reflect on the impact they have on mentees. Lastly, mentees from each school will have the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned throughout the year by attending our Longhorn for a Day field trip at the University of Texas at Austin (UT). Every Spring semester, our students from each of our school-sites interact with faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students at the College of Education. The visit includes workshops, presentations, a campus tour, and UT swag. Our Longhorn for a Day event will be Alright, Alright, Alright.
To learn more about the Project MALES Student Mentoring Program, please visit this webpage.
