Master’s Upskilling Mentor Program using human connections

to transform opportunity in the Central Valley

 

When Jay Thomas, a math professor at Lemoore College, logs onto a Zoom call with his mentee — a high school teacher deep in the process of earning a master’s degree — he doesn’t see it as just another meeting on his calendar.

“I consider myself a safe space, someone they can talk to,” Thomas said.

“We share ideas about curriculum, about pedagogy, but also about how to balance the challenges of graduate school with teaching full-time. It’s about making sure they don’t feel like they’re going through it alone.”

For Thomas and other community college professors across California’s Central Valley, that sense of connection is what makes the Master’s Upskilling Mentorship Program by the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium more than just a professional development initiative. It’s personal.

At a luncheon in Fresno last month, Thomas joined almost a dozen colleagues to reflect on the mentoring work they’ve been doing through CVHEC and the impact it’s having on teachers, students, and the future of education in the region.

“A Shoulder to Lean On”

The mentors come from community colleges in Fresno, Merced, Lemoore, Bakersfield, Clovis, Taft and beyond.

Their role: guide high school teachers who are enrolled in CVHEC’s Master’s Upskilling Program, which helps them earn master’s degrees in mathematics or English so they can qualify to teach dual enrollment courses.

The arrangement creates unusual but rewarding relationships. For Nate Allen of Fresno City College, the motivation is simple: “Knowing that we were where they are at one point, I just want to be there for them to make the process easier.”

Others describe their role in almost familial terms.

• Frieda Ganter of Lemoore College said she aims to “offer a safe place where the mentees can ask any questions.”
• Simon Temmerman of Fresno City College puts it this way: “I like being a shoulder for them to lean on.”
• Caroline Dawson of Merced College said she loves trading teaching ideas,
• while Jeremy Brandle of Fresno City said his focus is to “offer support and encouragement.”

The bonds are real. “Mentors expressed that they enjoy helping others and feel like they are making a difference,” noted Dr. Lori Bennett, president-emeritus of Clovis Community College and coordinator of the math mentors.

From Mentee to Leader

For high school English teacher Ginny Sandu, the mentorship made all the difference.

Sandu, who teaches at Sunnyside High School in Fresno Unified, had been leading AP English courses when her department chair encouraged her to apply for the Upskilling Program.

“I thought to myself: what could be better than joining a program, getting a degree that hones my skills, and becoming a better teacher?” she recalled.

The program covered her tuition, but it was the human support that stuck with her.

“I was assigned a wonderful mentor who supported me throughout the entire journey—answering questions about assignments, about insecurities I had about going into the field, or even about becoming faculty and navigating the tenure process.”

Her journey came full circle earlier this year, when CVHEC invited her to share her story on its panel at the California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference in Sacramento and later on the state Department of Education’s “Bridge to Success” podcast. Now she teaches dual enrollment courses herself, offering her students opportunities she never imagined possible when she first entered the classroom.

“Passing It On”

That same sense of coming full circle resonates with the English faculty mentors.

Amber Giese, an adjunct English instructor at Bakersfield College, said she mentors because of the guidance she once received.

“I wouldn’t be where I am without the mentors who shared their knowledge and patience with me. If I can give back and share what I’ve learned, why shouldn’t I?”

She especially enjoys seeing moments of breakthrough. “Something just clicks for the mentee. They’ve got this drive to go forward and make whatever we’ve discussed work for them. That’s the best part.”

Jeff Eagan, an English professor at Bakersfield College, said the program opened up an exchange of perspectives he might never have had otherwise. “Without the relationships I cultivated in the program, I might not otherwise have had the hands-on perspectives of high school teachers working with my future students,” he said.

Eagan recalled observing one of his former mentees now teaching a dual enrollment class at a high school. “I felt truly confident in his skill, rigor, and care for his students. It was rewarding to see it come full circle.”

Changing the Landscape of Dual Enrollment

Behind these stories is a bigger picture. The mentorship program is part of CVHEC’s Master’s Upskilling initiative, launched in 2021 with funding from the California K-16 Collaborative.

The goal is simple but ambitious: prepare high school teachers to teach college courses. For years, one of the biggest hurdles to expanding dual enrollment was the lack of qualified instructors for the high school level (master’s degree holders). The Upskilling Program removes that barrier by funding teachers’ tuition for master’s degrees at Fresno Pacific University (Math Education) and National University (English).

Since its inception, the program has produced about 199 new master’s-qualified teachers across the Central Valley — 113 in math and 86 in English — with about 40 more due in the coming academic year.   These teachers can now offer college-level courses directly to their high school students, helping them earn college credit before graduation.

“Dual enrollment provides students a head start on college and, in some cases, even an associate degree,” said Tom Burke, chancellor-emeritus of the Kern Community College District and CVHEC’s program lead.

“We are providing school districts with the solution right in their own backyard.”

Building a Community of Educators

The program isn’t just producing degrees — it’s building relationships across institutions.

Mentors meet with their mentees one or two times a month, sharing advice about graduate school, insights into community college teaching and guidance on everything from pedagogy to hiring practices.

At the Aug. 15 luncheon in Fresno, mentors swapped stories and reviewed survey results from program participants. The majority of teachers reported positive experiences with both their university coursework and the mentoring component.

Dr. Bennett said the comments show the heart of the initiative.

“These community college faculty are truly making a difference for students throughout the Central Valley,” she said. “We are thankful to have such a dedicated group providing a strong support system for the high school teachers who are working hard to earn their master’s degrees.”

A Ripple Effect for Students

For the mentors, the payoff is not just seeing their mentees succeed — it’s knowing that those teachers will pass the benefits on to thousands of students.

“Ultimately, it’s about supporting each other,” said Thomas. “When we help teachers succeed, we help students succeed. And that benefits the entire Valley.”

As the next cohorts progress and more mentors join, CVHEC’s Master’s Upskilling Program is proving that investment in teachers’ professional growth can create a ripple effect that extends far beyond one classroom.

For teachers like Sandu, it’s already a reality. Her students are stepping into college-level work before graduation. And for the mentors like Thomas, Allen and Giese, it’s a reminder that the most powerful lessons often come not from textbooks but from relationships — professors helping teachers, teachers helping students, and all of them working together to transform opportunity in the Central Valley.