Gita Sankano urges professionals to mentor first-generation students

Washington, D.C. attorney Gita Sankano is urging experienced professionals to mentor students and young workers, especially first-generation college attendees. She says guidance can help young people build confidence, expand opportunities and strengthen communities over time.

Why it matters: - Mentorship can shape college access, career confidence and long-term opportunity for students who do not have family experience to lean on. - Sankano is framing mentoring as a practical way for professionals in any field to widen opportunity without needing a formal program. - Research cited in the release says young people with mentors are more likely to enroll in college, hold leadership roles, volunteer regularly and report stronger self-confidence.

What happened: - Washington, D.C.-based attorney Gita Sankano is calling on professionals to mentor students and young professionals, with a focus on first-generation college students. - Sankano said her own path as the first in her family to attend college showed her how much mentorship can matter. - She said, "Being the first in my family to attend college was an obstacle," and added that mentors helped her navigate that challenge. - Sankano is asking professionals to commit to mentoring at least one student, young professional or first-generation college attendee over the next year. - Sankano also shared her LinkedIn profile: More information

The details: - Sankano grew up in Harlem and the Bronx. - She earned degrees from CUNY John Jay College and the University of Maryland School of Law. - Sankano graduated cum laude and in the top 20 percent of her law school class. - Her career has included commercial real estate and housing finance transactions involving major public and private institutions. - Sankano said giving back to her community and sharing knowledge with young people is her personal definition of success. - She said, "My mother has been my biggest influence," and described her mother as a hardworking woman who never gives up. - The release says one in three young people grows up without a meaningful mentor outside the family, citing the National Mentoring Partnership. - The National Center for Education Statistics reports that first-generation college students continue to have lower completion rates than students whose parents earned bachelor's degrees.

Between the lines: - Sankano's message blends personal biography with a broader push for social mobility. - The pitch is that small acts, like answering questions or making introductions, can add up to real change for students who may not already have access to professional networks. - The emphasis on first-generation students suggests mentorship is being positioned as a gap-filler for both confidence and information.

What's next: - Sankano wants more professionals in law, business, education, construction, healthcare and other fields to start mentoring now. - The release says even one conversation, ongoing guidance or a simple introduction can help someone take the next step toward a goal. - The broader hope is that more mentoring will translate into stronger educational and career outcomes for students who need support most.