ISSO Mentoring
The Immigrant Student Success Office (ISSO) has an extensive network of staff and faculty mentors who provide students with guidance on their academic work, future goals, prospects for graduate education, and facilitating their college experience.
Benefits of Mentorship
Diverse Expertise for Holistic Support
Our staff and faculty mentors come from various academic disciplines and professional backgrounds, ensuring students receive well-rounded support. Through consultations and workshops, students can:
- learn specialized skills in their field of study,
- gain leadership insights and strategies from experienced professionals, and
- address challenges and opportunities specific to immigrant and undocumented students.
Opportunities for Connection and Growth
The mentorship program goes beyond one-on-one meetings, offering workshops and community-building events designed to foster growth and learning. Students benefit from:
- Interactive Workshops: We focus on academic skills, professional development, and personal growth.
- Leadership Training: Mentors share their leadership journeys and inspire students to develop their unique paths.
- Collaborative Networking: Students build connections with peers, staff, and faculty, creating a supportive academic and professional community.
Empowering Students for Success
Mentors help empower students to take charge of their education and future. With tailored support and expert guidance, students can confidently navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve their aspirations.
Whether you’re seeking help with your studies, preparing for graduate school, or looking for strategies to thrive in college, our mentors are here to guide you every step of the way.
What Mentors Provide
- Staff and faculty mentors bring diverse academic skills and share their expertise through consultations, workshops, and one-on-one mentoring. They help students navigate challenges, plan their career paths, and develop essential leadership skills.
- Staff and faculty mentors offer workshops, personalized sessions, and resources that help students succeed inside and outside the classroom and prepare for work-related opportunities.
UndocuAlly Faculty Committee Chair: Assistant Professor Matthew Lindauer
Want to become a mentor? Sign up here.
How It Works
Our mentors bring diverse academic expertise and leadership skills to support immigrant, undocumented, and first-generation students in achieving their goals. With 20 hours of staff and faculty availability each week, students have access to consultations, workshops, and one-on-one mentoring sessions that address their unique needs and ambitions, including:
- Guidance on Academic Work: Mentors assist students in navigating their coursework, offering strategies to improve performance and maximize their learning experience.
- Goal-Setting and Career Planning: Mentors help students articulate their academic and professional goals, providing actionable steps to achieve them.
- Graduate Education Support: Whether students are considering graduate school or professional programs, mentors share insights into application processes, program selection, and preparation strategies.
- College Navigation: Mentors serve as a resource to help students better understand and utilize the opportunities available at Brooklyn College, making the college experience more accessible and rewarding.
Current mentors (Undocuallies)
- Frans Albarillo, Library
- Naomi Braine, Sociology
- Maria Contel, Chemistry
- Madeline Fox, Sociology
- Elise Goldberg, Children and Youth Studies
- Heidi Goodson, Mathematics
- Matthew Lindauer, Philosophy
- Namita Manohar, Sociology
- Lisa Millsaps, CAASS
- Emily Molina, Sociology
- Carla Möller, Adult Literacy
- Erika Niwa, Psychology
- Estefania Ponti, CAASS
- Maria Perez y Gonzalez, Puerto Rican and Latino Studies
- Rhea Rahman, Anthropology
- Moraima Smith, Division of Student Affairs
- Sherome Stone, Women’s Center
- Celina Su, Political Science
- Jeanne Theoharis, Political Science
- Mariana Torrente, Chemistry
- Grace Elizalde Utnick, School Psychology, Counseling, and Leadership
Mentor Availability
In spring 2025, mentor availability will be posted on our semester calendar, shared on our Instagram account, and will be displayed at the ISSO office, located in 117 Roosevelt Hall.