The transition from high school to college is often a daunting time in a teenager’s life. Of those who do graduate, many think college is out of reach.

Many years ago, the Dallas ISD developed the Advancement Via Individual Determination program to help students who face unlikely odds to finish high school and apply for college. A highlight for many of the students enrolled in the AVID program is E-Mentoring, Esq., an initiative launched in 2003 by the DBA and Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, in conjunction with Dallas ISD and supported by the Dallas Bar Foundation.

In its first year, 45 freshmen from one school were paired with 45 legal professionals who used e-mail to “mentor” students and encourage them to succeed in school. Now, the program consists of more than 600 students in a dozen schools.

DBA President Christina Melton Crain has been urging DBA members to identify ways to “mentor the next generation” this year.

“The concept of mentoring stems from early Greek mythology,” Ms. Crain reminds us. “As told by Homer in his epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus asked his trusted friend, Mentor, to watch over his household and guide the development of his son, Telemachus, while Odysseus embarked on his 20-year journey.

Throughout Telemachus’ life, Mentor advised him and served as his instructor and role model. Mentor eventually prepared Telemachus for his own journey into the world, providing encouragement and offering to accompany him.”

The E-Mentoring model allows lawyers to provide similar encouragement and improve the odds for these students – many who will be the first in their families to attend college.

In 2009, the success of the program was evident when 59 of the 63 AVID students at Samuell High School who participate in E-Mentoring received college acceptance letters.

“E-Mentoring allows even the busiest professionals to give back to the community on their own schedule,” according to program leader Everett New. “It only takes five minutes a week to reach across the Web and provide another tether for a student who might be struggling to meet their goals.”

Attorneys, judges, paralegals, and legal secretaries are currently serving as mentors. All that is required is a college degree and the willingness to give a few minutes each week to e-mail the student to which the mentor is assigned. The school district handles the application process and background checks. Additionally, the E-Mentoring committee provides tools to simplify the process, especially in the initial weeks as the dialogue develops.

In addition to occasional e-mail messages between professionals and students, some mentors meet their students at the end-of-year receptions at the Belo Mansion. In mid-May, the DBA hosted hundreds of students who participate in the E-Mentoring program at the Belo Mansion, as many of them shared stories about how their mentors provide the much-needed encouragement to get through a particularly tough class or test.

Being connected to a successful professional via e-mail can have a phenomenal effect on a young life. New mentors are encouraged to volunteer this summer to begin working with high school students in the fall.

Visit www.dbamentor.org to learn more about the program.