>>> ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, WE'RE BACK NOW WITH THE COLLEGE STUDENTS LEADING THE WAY FOR OTHERS, TWO HARVARD UNDERGRADS LAUNCHING IVY LEAGUE MENTORING INCREASING REPRESENTATION, AND ONE OF THESE IS THE SON OF OUR CO-HOST SONNY HOSEN. >> ALL WE DO IS CONNECT MENTORS FROM THE IVY LEAGUE TO DISADVANTAGED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IT HAVE THE MISSION OF IS IVY LEAGUE MENTORING IS TO INSPIRE STUDENTS TO EXCEL ACADEMICALLY. >> I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WAS 8 YEARS OLD, I WAS SAYING, I WANT TO GET INTO THE IVY LEAGUE. I WANT TO GO TO HARVARD. I'M SO THANKFUL THAT I HAD MENTORS IN THE FORM OF MY PARENTS IN MY LIFE, AND THEY ALWAYS WERE THERE TO ENCOURAGE ME AND ALWAYS SUPPORT ME IN PUSHING PAST WHAT'S COMFORTABLE AND ACHIEVING MORE. >> GROWING UP IN MY COMMUNITY, VERY FEW STUDENTS ENDED UP IN A SCHOOL LIKE HARVARD. IN 2019, I MET MY MENTOR, WHO UPLIFTED ME AND ENCOURAGED ME. SHE PROVIDED ME WITH DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, DIFFERENT SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, SO I COULD FIND MY VOICE IN MEDICINE. >> WE GO TO THESE SCHOOLS, AND WE SHOW THEM WHAT OUR PROGRAM IS, AND WE SHOW THEM HOW MANY OPPORTUNITIES ARE TRULY OUT THERE. SO MANY OF THESE KIDS DON'T REALIZE HOW MANY SCHOLARSHIPS AND FUNDS ARE THERE FOR THEM. >> THEY TOLD US THEY WERE FROM HARVARD AND THAT THIS MENTORING WAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MENTORING AND HELPING KIDS WITH COLLEGES AND JUST WHATEVER HARD WORK THEY NEEDED TO GET DONE AND TO MOTIVATE THEM. >> AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR PROGRAM, WE WILL MEET WITH THE STUDENTS AND SET INDIVIDUAL GOALS THAT THE STUDENT WILL WANT TO ACCOMPLISH. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT SAY, I JUST WANT TO GET AN "A" ON MY SPANISH TEST. OTHER MENTEES WANT TO WORK TOWARD GETTING INTO M.I.T. >> IVY LEAGUE IS A GOOD FIT FOR ME BECAUSE IT'S BROUGHT ME MANY OPPORTUNITIES. I'VE ALSO LEARNED MORE IN SPANISH, AND MY GRADE HAS GONE UP IN THAT SUBJECT. >> MY MOTIVATION IS TO BECOME SOMETHING IN LIFE, AND IF I NEED THAT PUSH, THEN I'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME HELP. >> MOVING FROM BANGLADESH TO AMERICAN SCHOOL, IT WAS KIND OF TOUGH IN THE BEGINNING. STUDENTS WHO ARE NEW TO THIS COUNTRY AND WHO ARE, LIKE, LOOKING TO GET INTO GOOD COLLEGES, IVY LEAGUE IS SUCH A GOOD PLACE. >> WE ARE HERE TO UPLIFT THESE KIDS, GIVE THEM THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO GET INTO THEIR DREAM SCHOOLS. >> DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ARE SO IMPORTANT TO A UNIVERSITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. IVY LEAGUE MENTORING IS GOING TO PLAY AN ESSENTIAL PART IN CLOSING THIS GAP TO ALLOW STUDENTS FROM DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR VOICE IN THE FIELD OF ACADEMIA. >> I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THESE GUYS AND THIS ORGANIZATION. GROWING UP, I NEVER HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT ATTENDING AN IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL AND WAS LUCKY TO GO TO COLUMBIA. >>