From Student to Mentor

Five years ago, she walked through our doors unsure of her future. Today she's back—this time as a volunteer mentor.

Maria first came to Hangar when she was 14, shy and uncertain about what lay ahead. Like many of our students, she came from a family where higher education seemed like an impossible dream. But something changed during her time with us.

"Hangar showed me that my circumstances didn't define my possibilities," Maria says now, at 19, as she helps a group of younger students with their homework. "The mentors here didn't just teach me subjects—they taught me to believe in myself."

After graduating from high school with honors, Maria enrolled in a local university to study social work. She volunteers at Hangar three afternoons a week, giving back to the community that helped shape her.

"When I see these kids struggling with the same doubts I had, I know exactly what to say," she explains. "Because I've been there. And I want them to know that if I can make it, they can too."

Maria's story is exactly why we do what we do. Every student who returns as a mentor creates a ripple effect of hope and possibility.