When Ariana Ruiz was a sophomore at Los Altos High School, she learned about the mentor program offered by Mentor Tutor Connection (MTC), a local nonprofit that provides mentors to high school students in the Mountain View and Los Altos Union High School District. Matched with Deborah Pasturel, a seasoned mentor who had previously mentored five high school students, they had a lot in common. Deborah is an Art History professor at De Anza College and Ariana dreamed of studying art in college.

But college wasn’t something that Ariana thought was possible then. When her parents moved to the Central Valley, Ariana wanted to remain at Los Altos High, so she moved in with her aunt and uncle and studied hard, but knew that paying for college would be too difficult ... until she met Deborah.

Students in the MTC mentor program are from vulnerable populations who have significant stressors in their lives that impact their mental health and social and school engagement. Mostly from low-income families, they are sometimes overlooked in a community of affluence. The MTC mentors provide a listening ear and serve to support their students as a friend and offer helpful suggestions and ideas about building a strong future.

Deborah states, “As a community college professor, I am well aware of the difficulties many people face in Silicon Valley, but to witness these stresses first-hand by being brought into these young women’s lives has brought my understanding to a greater level.” For example, when Ariana first visited Deborah’s home, she was surprised to see that everyone had their own bedroom since she had always slept on the floor of her living room alongside her two older brothers.

When Ariana talks about her relationship with Deborah, she gets very animated. They’ve enjoyed many fun activities together over the past two years including a pasta cooking class, bowling, eating out and just chatting about life. Ariana says, “Deborah provides a safe space that makes it comfortable for me to share my deepest thoughts while never judging me. Deborah is my cheerleader in life.”

Probably the comical memory the two of them shared was during the pasta cooking class. Ariana looked at Deborah with panic in her eyes because her dough wasn’t forming the way the instructor said it should. Deborah rushed to her side and added some water, thinking this might fix it. The instructor came over and reprimanded Deborah for this idea and she and Arianna dissolved into a fit of giggles. A shared priceless memory for them.

Ariana will be graduating from high school in June and college is on the horizon. Hoping to study art animation or graphic design, she’s applying for scholarships and grants to fund her education, something she didn’t know about two years ago. As Jean Ikeda, the executive director of MTC comments, “Our mentor program students need a little boost, a person to guide, encourage, and remind them that their dreams can be realized.”

Last school year, 183 students were in the MTC mentor program and over 200 students in the tutor program. Tutors are matched with K-8th grade students in Los Altos and Mountain View Whisman school districts who have academic and economic needs. Their families can’t afford the cost of private tutors. As Jean Ikeda comments, “Imagine being a young student in class struggling to understand the lesson and feeling lost. Knowing their tutor is on the way helps ease their anxiety and gives them confidence that support is coming.”

MTC’s mission of enhancing the academic, social, and emotional growth of students in the community has been growing since its inception 27 years ago. MTC is thankful for its generous volunteers who donate their time and dedication to more than 300 MTC students each year.

MTC is one of seven nonprofits receiving money through the Mountain View's Voice's annual Holiday Fund.

Every year, donations to the Holiday Fund are divided equally among a group of local nonprofits that serve people in need. The Voice and its Holiday Fund partner, the nonprofit Silicon Valley Community Foundation, absorb all administrative costs to run the fund, and all donations are tax-deductible.

For more information about the Holiday Fund, go to mv-voice.com.com/holidayfund. To give a donation online, go to embarcaderomediafoundation.org/holiday-fund/mountain-view. Checks can be made payable to Mountain View Voice Holiday Fund and sent to 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto 94306. The Holiday Fund campaign will run through early January, with grants awarded in the spring.

Jean Ikeda is the executive director of Mentor Tutor Connection.