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The Sacramento Bee and Nehemiah Leaders Programs are celebrating this year’s 60 Change Makers. Join them at our gala at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the Grand Sheraton in downtown Sacramento. Buy tickets at sacramentochangemakers.com.
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July marked Renatto Guerra’s 10th year with Improve Your Tomorrow. Looking back, Guerra pointed to the mentorship he received in high school as what sparked his interest in supporting young men as they pursue college.
Guerra’s mentor went beyond the formal expectations of the role. He taught Guerra how to drive, attended his football games and took him to church. When Guerra learned about IYT, he saw it as an opportunity to “pay it forward” by providing other young men with the kind of support he had received.
“A big part of it is a community that is going to support them and encourage them to think bigger,” Guerra said.
Now working as IYT’s senior programs director in Sacramento, Guerra supports and trains mentors to work with students across the region. One mentor works with roughly 25 to 50 students across school sites, with middle and high school students meeting with their mentors about every other week for sessions.
Renatto sees positive mentors as especially important for students who may have absent fathers or other adults in their lives who are not constructive role models.
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One early experience that stayed with Guerra involved a high-achieving freshman he met through the program. He was earning good grades and appeared to be doing well. Guerra wondered why such a student needed the program at all — until he learned that the student’s father was incarcerated.
“Although he had good grades and was doing well in school, he was really looking for community. He was looking for other young people to have friends … he was looking for other male role models,” Guerra said.
“It reminded me, every student has a unique story perspective,” Guerra said. “We don’t always know what’s happening in their homes or their families. We can only really sometimes see what’s happening at school, but that’s not the full picture.”
Guerra said his biggest opportunity moving forward is improving college completion, helping students earn degrees on time, take on minimal debt and enter the workforce successfully.
Students have potential, “they just need resources and opportunities,” Guerra stressed.
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