Meet a Mentor: Cynthia To

High School: Livermore High School Class of 2007 (Livermore, Ca)
College: Sonoma State University
What are you up to? I am a fourth year biology student concentrating on ecology, evolution and conservation. I am also an active member of a national sorority.

What does it mean to you to be a mentor?

Being a mentor to me means being a person that can share life experiences. As a mentor, I strive to help people succeed and survive college. It also means telling the truth and not sugar-coating what college life is about.

What do you wish you had known about college when you were in high school?

Back in high school I wish I had known what college was really like. All I ever heard was “college is tough” or “you have to study 24/7.” I basically got the idea that you will have no life in college. However when I started, I found that I could balance a social life as well as studying. It’s OK to have fun in college just don’t forget to attend classes!

Why did you want to get involved in this program?

I got involved in this program to share my college experiences. As a high school student, I had no one to talk to and no one that could give me the details on what college is REALLY like. In college, I experienced the stressful finals week as well as the outrageous parties and everything in between. I wanted to get involved with BetterGrads to help incoming college students learn how to have fun and do well in school.