Finding Purpose Through Service: AmeriCorps Mentors Making an Impact

For decades, the KCSOS AmeriCorps Mentoring Program has been an invaluable resource for Kern County schools, providing students with additional support through dedicated mentors.

Each year, the program staffs 36 school-based mentors who collectively work with approximately 720 students across Kern County. Throughout the years, data has shown that more than half of mentees experience improved attendance and reduced suspensions. According to AmeriCorps Program Coordinator Geoff Welch, the goal is not just to support students academically but to address the whole child by providing encouragement, guidance, and a trusted support system.

Samantha Lopez, a first-year AmeriCorps mentor at Grow Academy in Shafter, learned about the program while serving as an aide at KCSOS’s summer STEAM camps last year. Since then, Lopez has joined Grow Academy’s attendance team, working closely with students struggling with chronic absenteeism.

Despite having no prior experience working with absenteeism, Lopez embraced the challenge.

“My job is to see through the numbers and see why they are missing school. If I see a student who seems off, I can usually tell right away,” she said. “A lot of absenteeism stems from home issues, medical concerns, or other personal struggles. Being there to support them makes a huge difference.”

Lopez says that the help from her colleagues at Grow Academy and the AmeriCorps Program has been crucial to her success in her first year. Having a strong support system has allowed her to grow in her role and better serve students.

Candice Magaña, a second-year AmeriCorps mentor, knows firsthand how valuable that support can be. Like Lopez, she found herself in a completely new environment when she joined AmeriCorps — but with guidance from her team, she quickly found her footing.

“It was something different — something I had never done before,” Magaña said. “I worked in food service and retail but coming into AmeriCorps felt like a completely new experience. Through the program, I have discovered more about myself than I thought I would.”

Now in her second year at Del Oro High School, Magaña works with chronically absent students who need extra support. Through this work, she has learned many new skills, including the importance of communication. Her experiences building relationships with students and organizing school-based interventions led her to develop a passion for community outreach. Whether planning service events, coordinating donation drives, or connecting families with resources, she has found fulfillment in bringing people together to support a common cause. 

Beyond her school site, Magaña has taken an active leadership role in AmeriCorps, helping organize community service events and even launching a support group for fellow mentors.

“We all need check-ins, just like the kids,” she said. “Some days are tough, and sometimes we just need to talk and figure things out together.”

Looking to the future, Lopez and Magaña have used their experiences in the AmeriCorps program to determine what is important to them. While their career paths may diverge, their shared experiences as AmeriCorps mentors will stay with them. The relationships they’ve built and the skills they’ve gained embody the heart of the AmeriCorps mission: to uplift, empower, and inspire.

Visit kerncommunitymentoring.com for more information about KCSOS’s AmeriCorps program. Recruitment for the upcoming school year will begin later this spring.