Two findings from a new national study reveal the power of mentors, particularly those in the teaching profession:
- For all teen students, having an adult mentor meant a 50 percent greater likelihood of attending college.
- For disadvantaged students, mentorship by a teacher nearly doubled the odds of attending college.
"Potential is sometimes squashed by the social environment, and the data show that mentors can overcome those forces," said Lance Erickson, a sociology professor at Brigham Young University and the study's lead author.