We currently have over 60 UC Davis undergraduate and graduate students serving as mentors for our Redwood SEED Scholars. The support our mentors provide is invaluable and an important part of the success of the Redwood SEED Scholars.
We have mentors in five areas:
Academic
Academic mentors support the Redwood SEED Scholars in academics. This includes help with organization, executive functioning, planning, accessing student supports on campus and tutoring in academic classes. Some academic mentors will go with Redwood SEED Scholars to UC Davis courses that they will be auditing. They will help support their learning in that course in a variety of ways.
Social
Social mentors help the Redwood SEED Scholars to learn specific skills that are necessary in the first weeks of school. Additionally, as the quarter and the year goes on, social mentors help Redwood SEED Scholars reach out to campus organizations and/or clubs that are in their area of interest. The social mentors build a bridge to social opportunities and support the Redwood SEED Scholars as needed to successfully participate in these opportunities.
Health and Wellness
We know the health disparities that exist for adults with intellectual disabilities. For this reason, our health and wellness mentors work with our Redwood SEED Scholars to help develop health habits that will last into adulthood. Health and wellness mentors meet each week to exercise, consider food choices, learn about nutrition, mindfulness and mental health with the Redwood SEED Scholars.
Residential
Residential mentors work to support Redwood SEED Scholars in residential living. They check in with each scholar in the morning and at night to see how their residential living experience is going. The Redwood SEED Scholars will be sharing dorm rooms together, using a shared bathroom with the dorm floor and eating in the dining commons with all other first-year students. Living in the dorms is an adjustment for every single student, degree-seeking or not, and our residential mentors work to help the Redwood SEED Scholars navigate these new experiences and support them as needed.
Employment
Our program is dedicated to improving the adult lives of people with intellectual disabilities and employment is a key component of that improvement. When you develop skills and are employed with a living wage, you have more freedom and opportunity to live your life on your terms and to follow your dreams. Employment Mentors will support Redwood SEED Scholars in their employment experience on campus or within the larger community.