Our Stories

Genesis with mentor Virginia

Having been in Quest since the fifth grade, I have experienced the advantages of having someone to guide me in the steps towards my future, which most students I might add do not have. Mentoring has taught me I can count on someone to push me in the right direction. That there is someone who cares for our future and that believes we can provide valuable skills to our community. Most importantly it has taught me that if I work hard to achieve the goals I have set for myself, and with help of a mentor, I can accomplish those goals. We can bear fruit with the hard work and dedication of a mentor. Virginia, my mentor, has had a great impact in my life. Since the day I was introduced to her as my mentor I knew she and I were going to get along great. She is such a great person that has done her job as a mentor and has gone beyond my expectations. She has stood by my side in all situations and if I needed something she was there to provide me assistance. She encouraged me to pursue my greatest dream of going to college and being the first in my family to graduate. Seeking new opportunities and challenges is very hard but she has taught me it can be rewarding as well. Because of her guidance I have become a more involved person in the community and my school. I consider myself the luckiest person in the world to have her. I appreciate everything she has done for me. I could not ask for a better mentor or friend.

Jose with mentor, Bart

Statistically, Jose Salazar should not be in college.  One-fifth (19%) of Latino young adults, ages 18-24, are enrolled in college as opposed to 30% African Americans and 39% non-Latino whites. A low-income Latino male and one of 10 siblings, Jose beat the odds as a first generation college student to enroll in Arizona State University in the Fall of 2009. His mentor, Bart, has had a huge influence on his life, giving him encouragement and advice. When Jose was “weak or stressed out” Bart was the one who gave him the push to keep working and to keep going forward. Jose earned good grades but said, “without [Quest] to be there behind me, I don’t know… I never would have thought I’d be in college.” When asked what Quest meant to him, Jose said, “Great program. Great people. Dedicated people who show their efforts through words and actions. I’m speechless.”

Hannah, 2009

To Hannah, Arizona Quest for Kids is like an umbrella that created a layer of support and opened up a never-before-imagined path to college. Hannah began with Arizona Quest For Kids as a fifth grader at Madison Park Elementary as a member of the first cohort of seven students. She always knew she wanted to be special, to be the first one in her family that went to college. Arizona Quest For Kids and Hannah’s mentor helped her realize her dream of going to college. Going through the program as a child, Hannah said, “I didn’t realize the impact, overall, until I am looking at it now, and I’m going to graduate.” It was the “little things” that really made a difference for Hannah; namely, her mentor, Kay, whom she feels is like family, and the involvement and support of her mother and father, all of whom continue to actively supportive of her ongoing education. Kay continues to be Hannah’s mentor to this day, and  for Kay, she’s been “delighted to be involved with Hannah, her friends, and her mother, and Quest has been supportive the whole time.” Kay believes that it is Arizona Quest for Kids’ ability to accommodate the students’ structure and encourage them to understand Arizona Quest for Kids’ role that is beneficial. After graduating high school with a 4.6 GPA, Hannah spent two years at Phoenix Community College. This Spring, she will  graduate with a major in Psychology from Arizona State University. Hannah remains close to Kay, her mentor of seven years.