UM program helps students help students

ORONO – Jacob Baranski remembered how overwhelming high school could be.

“When I first started, it was kind of confusing,” said the Sumner Memorial High School sophomore whose personal experience spurred him to take a freshman classmate under his wing this year.

“I’m helping him get integrated into high school life,” said Baranski, one of 60 student mentors to attend the second annual Mentor Summit at the University of Maine on Thursday.

Students from eight high schools around the state gathered at Wells Conference Center to garner tips on bolstering classmates’ confidence and helping them realize their potential .

Sponsored by UM’s National Center for Student Aspirations and funded through a federal Advanced Placement Incentive Program grant given to the Maine Department of Education, the mentoring program seeks to prepare more students to take the rigorous, college-level courses offered to high school juniors and seniors.

The grant was created three years ago after educators realized that low-income students were underrepresented in Advanced Placement courses, according to Sharon Wilson-Barker, a director at the center, which is part of the College of Education and Human Development.

Academic readiness isn’t the only factor that influences a student’s desire to take the more rigorous college-level courses, said Wilson-Barker.

Students identified as low-achieving but having potential often have a negative mindset, she said. “They don’t think they can do it. They feel intimidated, or they don’t know anyone taking AP courses.”

By helping them establish friendships with top-notch students who have high aspirations, mediocre students can soar, she said.

Maine is the only state preparing students emotionally for AP courses by raising aspirations, she said.

Research indicates that students who take AP courses are more likely to go on to higher education, according to Wilson-Barker. One reason is that the demanding coursework helps them gain confidence and develop a sense of accomplishment.

There are more than 300 student mentors in 16 high schools in Maine communities, including Hodgdon, Dexter, Hampden, Searsport, Howland and East Millinocket.

They have made a difference, Wilson-Barker said.

Preliminary results of an analysis by the center show 17 students are taking AP courses at Hodgdon High School, where there had been none during the past three years.

At Schenck High School in East Millinocket, 24 students are taking AP courses, up from 17 last year.

At Hampden Academy, the number has risen from 42 three years ago to 64.

The center is surveying parents and teachers to see if they have seen a change in students, Wilson-Barker said.

Student mentors on Thursday said they enjoyed their roles.

Jarred Brown, a senior at Hampden Academy, said he wants to “make the school a friendlier place.”

“We don’t pressure them to [take AP courses],” he said. “We’re just there to help them find out more about the high school and give them advice about classes.”

By getting to know upperclassmen, “they feel a greater sense of belonging,” he said.

Bucksport High School junior Terri Jordan said she’s looking forward to starting a mentoring program.

“I see lots of kids who look like they need … someone to talk to,” she said.

Chelsea Newman, a sophomore at Forest Hills Consolidated School in Jackman, said she’ll make a good mentor when the school begins a program this year.

“I feel I make smart decisions that others can follow,” she said.