G-Force Mentors make virtual outreach opportunities possible

MAY 18, 2021 — UTSA has been able to offer many virtual outreach opportunities over the past year thanks to the university’s excellent faculty and staff, as well as a special group of students called G-Force Mentors.

G-Force Mentors is a student work-study program that is part of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Work Study Mentorship Program. Its students are dedicated to promoting a college-going culture.

Over the past year, 15 G-Force students have helped promote the importance of a college education in and around the San Antonio community through various UTSA recruitment and outreach events.

“The G-Force Mentor program has made a complete and positive impact in my life and made me more confident.”

Through collaborative programming efforts, they served more than 9,000 students and their families. G-Force Mentors aim to reach and inspire students to think about their future and higher education. “These G-Force students are planting seeds in our community that will increase college access, awareness, and support student success. We are recruiting future Roadrunners through the work we do,” said Kayla Martinez, senior program coordinator and supervisor to the G-Force Mentors.

G-Force Mentors have helped with various events and initiatives across the division of Strategic Enrollment, but their most popular session is entitled “When You Go To College,” which includes an engaging presentation on the benefits of going to college, an inside look at UTSA, life as a Roadrunner, and tips on how to prepare for college. The session concludes with an interactive student panel in which students answer questions ranging from “Why did you choose to UTSA?” to “Can you have your pet on campus?”

G-Force Mentors also assist in events such as UTSA Day, UTSA transfer sessions, and UTSA family engagement sessions. They have even assisted in supporting the university’s One Stop Enrollment Center with the phone queue and participating in call campaigns to increase enrollment numbers.

The work that G-Force Mentors do is not only beneficial for the students attending the presentation, but also for the mentors themselves. They gain experience in public speaking, building programs, and training related to admissions, financial aid, and more. G-Force Mentors make sure the university is well-represented in the community. They are able to present in English, but also have presented in Spanish at many bilingual events. They recently earned the UTSA President’s Distinguished Diversity Award for a student organization, which recognizes their ability to practice diversity and inclusion in creative and collaborative ways.

Several G-Force Mentors have made great strides in their own personal academic journeys. The program is celebrating four graduating seniors this year: Alejandra Teran, Alexis Acosta, Martha Salazar, and Valerie Quintana. Teran has been admitted to Rutgers University, where she will pursue her M.S. degree in business for personal care. She plans to launch her own make-up line.

Additionally, sophomore and G-Force team coordinator Destiny Anguiano has been admitted into the University of Houston’s Pre-Law Pipeline Program, and junior transfer student Jasman Sidhu recently accepted a summer internship with the U.S. Department of Defense’s National Security Innovation Network.

“I started out as a G-Force Mentor knowing that I wanted to help make a difference in how younger students perceived their future. I wanted to do this even though I had a fear of public speaking and being in the spotlight,” Sidhu said. “The G-Force Mentor program has made a complete and positive impact in my life and made me more confident, especially with public speaking. It is my firm belief that I would not have been able to secure my internship without the confidence, skills, and support I have received from my G-Force Mentor position. I am forever grateful to have gone through this amazing experience as a G-Force Mentor.”

— Kayla Martinez