Skip to main content

Tag: cs mentor

Chicago Scholars 2025 March Mentor of the Month

Written by Morgan Mercieca on . Posted in Uncategorized.

Jonathan Benishay, Mentor since 2024

Over the coming months, we’ll be introducing you to some of our current incredible mentors, giving you a special look at what called them to take on this responsibility, and sharing stories of connection with their Scholar cohorts – and maybe inspiring you to become a mentor too!

Our 2025 March Mentor of the Month is Jonathan Benishay, who is a new Mentor with Chicago Scholars, but has spent the past year building dynamic and lasting relationships with his Scholar mentees. Read on for his responses!

Why did you decide to become a Mentor with Chicago Scholars?
“After talking with my friend from work, Kiley, about her experience volunteering with Chicago Scholars, she encouraged me to come to a Chicago Scholar event, which I ended up doing. I was extremely impressed with the organization and knew then that I wanted to be a mentor!”
And do you have any special memories you’ve shared with your Scholars so far?
“We went to a Chicago Fire soccer game as a cohort outing. It was really cool to watch the Fire pull out a win and we also entered a raffle and won some cool sunglasses! Another moment that stands out was the first cohort outing we had. It was pretty simple in that we just got Chick-fil-a, but the part that was great was sitting down and getting to talk to everyone in a casual setting.”

Inspired by Jonathan’s involvement? Head here to learn more about applying to be a mentor! The mentor application is open to support our new incoming class of Chicago Scholars – head here to check out the application and apply before the deadline on May 6th !

Mentorship, the CS Way

Written by Lee Overton on . Posted in Main Blog.

What is the heart and soul of a good mentor? A good CS mentor at that. It is more than asking a student how they are feeling and taking down notes on them. It takes the ability to look past the object lines under the job description and focus on the student.

When I was selected to be a CS Scholar, I had a vague idea of what CS mentoring was. I was apprehensive at first. I was happy to be part of CS, but I didn’t want the program to be a repetitive back and forth of “How are things?” and “Good, what do you need from me?” It certainly didn’t help that our sessions were Zoom and I could only see and hear my mentors, John Smart and Shanthi Cambala, in 2×4 boxes on the corner of my screen. I quickly learned how needlessly worried I was. Shanthi and John created games that sparked conversation between me and others in the cohort, relating to one another’s high school life. They didn’t force themselves into the discussion, but instead chimed in with their own experiences and advice.

Shanthi and John never made me feel any kind of pressure during my college decision process. They never jabbed me for updates on decisions from the admissions offices nor to know which school I was selecting. Instead, they reminded me that I was still human and even though I was in the middle of the most crucial points in my life, they were giving me their full support. I never felt like their care for mentoring me was going to abruptly stop when I graduated and got to college.

I selected Shanthi as my Year 2 Mentor because of how well I related to her. I never experienced mentorship from someone who is relatively close to the same junction I was in at the time. Shanthi is still going on her educational journey as I am, which I personally feel allows us to be more transparent and gives her a better understanding of what I may need help with or where I might be struggling.

I still keep in touch with John on a routine basis. He had recognized that my interest in film and television did not have as many conventional avenues that other scholar interests had. He connected me with an experienced director in the film industry so I could gather some expertise and tips on how to gain experience and notability.

When the formalities of “mentor/mentee” are gone, I believe I’ll have two wonderful friendships with Shanthi and John. The routine we have when it comes to staying in touch and considering each other’s well-being and potential, I confidently think that the foundation has already been laid.

What do you think is the heart and soul of mentorship? Why not develop a connection with a Scholar as a mentor yourself?

The application to become a CS mentor is now due on May 17! Learn more here.