Maria Fernandez, 45, a mother of three, struggles financially to support her family while pursuing a college degree.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt becomes very frustrating when you can\u2019t make ends meet for your kids,\u201d Fernandez said.<\/p>\n
Fortunate for her and other struggling students, Miami Dade College has partnered with an organization called iMentor to form a Single Stop mentoring program.<\/p>\n
The program places first-year students, who are eligible to receive financial aid, in two-year mentoring relationships to provide additional support and encourage them to continue their studies.<\/p>\n
Fernandez learned about the mentoring program when she came across a flyer on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cI immediately became interested in finding out a way I would be able to become a part of the program,\u201d Fernandez said. \u201cOnce I got started in my first one-on-one session with a mentor, they did a screening on me which would verify if I was eligible for any kind of financial assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mentors and mentees get to know each other through weekly emails and monthly group \u00a0events. Events include career planning sessions, financial counseling sessions, and various other college workshops.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Single Stop Mentoring program provides role models for students and allows them to receive benefits, screenings, and counseling all in efforts to make it easier to continue pursuing a college education,\u201d said program coordinator Stevenson Charlot.<\/p>\n
Because of the support Single Stop provided, Maria has been able to remain in school.<\/p>\n
\u201cI received Medicaid, which made doctor\u2019s care possible for my son, $400 in food stamps, which was a relief because I had been spending $400 a month on medicine for my son, and health insurance for my children,\u201d Fernandez said.<\/p>\n
The Single Stop program has helped Julio Cohen, 22, spend more time in school and less time working a minimum-wage job.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has helped not only me but my family, and allowing us to not having to worry whether their will be food on the table,\u201d Cohen said. \u201cI don\u2019t have to seek such a high paying job during school, which enables me to focus on my classes better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cohen now receives legal services, food stamps, benefits from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which is a federally funded program that provides support to needy low-income households for utility bill payments and a financial counselor.<\/p>\n
\u201cHad it not been for this program I would not have been able to continue attending college with the hopes of providing better futures for not only myself but my family,\u201d Fernandez said.<\/p>\n