Adam Metauro is working with iMentor to champion educational equity in NYC

Community service has always been an important part of Adam Metauro’s life. For the past decade, he has been helping New York City high school students achieve their educational goals through iMentor. The program works to close the racial and socioeconomic opportunity gap in public high schools that are not structured to effectively prepare all students for post-secondary success. For example, only 45% of low-income students nationwide enroll in college, compared to 78% of high-income students. “For underserved students, post-secondary education is the most reliable milestone for improved life outcomes,” Adam says. “This gap is both unjust and unsustainable.”

What is iMentor’s mission?

The organization partners with high schools in low-income communities to build mentoring relationships that empower first-generation students to graduate high school, succeed in college and achieve their ambitions. They employ a full-grade model where no students are deemed “at risk” — instead, all of the school’s 11th and 12th graders are paired with a college-educated mentor. Mentors connect with students every week to help develop the non-cognitive skills not taught in schools, like perseverance, being an advocate for yourself and setting goals, while also demystifying the college application process and sharing career knowledge. The rates of college enrollment and college completion for iMentor students are approximately 20% higher than similar students nationwide.

How has iMentor responded to the challenges of the past year?

We all saw the COVID-19 pandemic expose and even worsen so many of the inequities across our city. At the same time, our country experienced yet another reckoning with the struggle for racial equality. Low-income students and their families were particularly impacted — from their access to health care, and students’ access to the tools for remote education. iMentor observed approximately 40% of students’ ability to complete assignments was hindered, their mental health was negatively impacted and they were experiencing financial hardship due to at least one parent losing their job. In addition to the shift to virtual mentoring during this time, iMentor increased parent engagement; held trauma-informed counseling sessions; and created emergency response funds to pay for student laptops, wireless hotspots and college application fees.

Why is iMentor so important to you?

Entering my 10th year as a mentor, I have seen the life-changing impact the program makes in the students we support. When a student’s eyes light up with new possibilities or you see them realizing goals they thought were impossible, it really means everything. These students need the reassurance that despite their challenges, we stand by them, no matter what. With the help of our EY mentor community and other volunteers, we are having an outsized impact on NYC students’ ability to remain on track to achieve their aspirations. In this way, we all can help support the next generation of New Yorkers realize a brighter future.

Adam Metauro is a Director within EY-Parthenon’s Transaction Strategy & Execution team at Ernst & Young LLP. He is a member of iMentor’s NYC Young Executive Board and has personally raised more than $50,000 for the organization.