Families and young adults anywhere in Michigan can work with a dedicated Blackburn mentor by video. Most of the state is on Eastern time; four Upper Peninsula counties along the Wisconsin border use Central time, and we schedule in whichever applies to you. Sessions happen online every week, with text and phone check-ins between them, from metro Detroit to Marquette.
Two peninsulas, one mentor
Michigan is really two places joined by the Mackinac Bridge. The Lower Peninsula holds most of the population, from metro Detroit and Ann Arbor across to Lansing, Grand Rapids and the Lake Michigan shore, then north to Traverse City. The Upper Peninsula is large, forested and thinly settled, with towns hours apart. A student in Houghton and a young engineer in Troy have very different drives to anything, which is exactly why video works: the commute disappears and the schedule holds through lake-effect snow.
Where people live and work
Southeast Michigan
Detroit, its suburbs in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties, and the Ann Arbor area form the largest population center. The auto industry, engineering, health care and a growing technology and startup scene drive the economy here.
West Michigan
Grand Rapids and the towns toward Holland and Muskegon have a strong manufacturing and health care base, and the region is known for office furniture design and production.
Mid-Michigan and the north
Lansing, the state capital, has government and insurance work; Flint, Saginaw and the Tri-Cities carry a manufacturing history; northern Michigan leans on tourism, agriculture (including fruit along the lakeshore) and outdoor recreation.
The education picture
Michigan has large public school districts in the metro areas, many small rural districts up north, and a range of independent and religious schools. The state’s public universities are numerous and spread across the map, several of them large research campuses, alongside regional universities and a community college system that reaches most counties. Many Michigan students stay in state for college, drawn by those options; others leave for the coasts or the South, and students from other states come in as well.
What that means at each stage
- High school students: a weekly plan for grades, activities and the decision about life after graduation, with a parent involved throughout. See mentoring for high school students.
- College students: support with the jump from a small hometown to a big campus, or the reverse. Mentoring for college students explains how we help.
- Young adults: a first job in engineering, health care or the trades, a move to Detroit or Grand Rapids, or a stretch of feeling stuck at home. See young adult mentoring.
- Professionals: career changes in an economy tied to manufacturing cycles, and steady accountability for big goals.
Session logistics from Michigan
Sessions are 30 or 60 minutes by video, weekly or several times a week. Eastern Michigan is three hours ahead of Los Angeles and the Central time counties are two hours ahead, so after-school and evening times are easy to find. Parents of high school students join the intro call and get regular progress updates. Read more on our online mentoring page or our page for families.
Pages for areas in Michigan
- Online mentoring in Ann Arbor and Detroit
- Online mentoring in Oakland County
- Online mentoring in Grand Rapids
For other states, see mentoring by state.
Related
- Online mentoring in Chicago
- Online mentoring in Minnesota
- Trade school vs college
- Moving back home after college
Common questions
Which time zone do Upper Peninsula families use for sessions?
Most of the UP is on Eastern time, but Gogebic, Iron, Dickinson and Menominee counties use Central time. Tell us where you are and we schedule in your local time.
Can a mentor help a student weighing in-state and out-of-state colleges?
A mentor helps the student organize the decision, deadlines and conversations with family. Mentors are not admissions counselors and do not advise on admissions strategy.
Do you work with young adults in skilled trades or manufacturing?
Yes. Mentoring covers career planning, routines, money and goals for any path, including apprenticeships and trade careers.
Get started
Have a student or young adult in Michigan in mind? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.