Families in Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley and Salinas can work with a Blackburn mentor by video, in Pacific time. Each person has one dedicated mentor, meets weekly or more often, and stays in touch by text and phone between sessions. In-person meetings are possible for clients who are in Los Angeles.
A small place with a big reputation
The Monterey Peninsula draws visitors from around the world for Cannery Row, the aquarium, golf at Pebble Beach and the drive down to Big Sur. Behind the postcard, it is a set of small communities. Tourism and hospitality employ many residents, the Salinas Valley is one of the country’s major farming regions, and there is a long-standing military and government presence.
For young people, that mix can feel limiting. Year-round career options outside hospitality, agriculture and public service are fewer than in a big city, and many teens assume they will have to leave to get anywhere.
Helping teens see more than two options
A common theme for Peninsula students is a sense that the choices are stay and work in tourism, or leave. A mentor helps widen that view:
- Exploring careers connected to the region, such as marine science, agriculture technology, hospitality management and public service.
- Finding a first job or volunteer role that builds real skills. See job ideas for teens.
- Looking at college, community college, trades and gap years with equal seriousness.
- Planning a move away, if that is the choice, with savings and a timeline.
Families who split their time
Some families live on the Peninsula part of the year and elsewhere the rest. Others moved here later in life and have teens adjusting to a quieter place. Online sessions mean the same mentor and the same weekly time, wherever the family happens to be.
Young adults coming home to the coast
Housing on the Peninsula is expensive, and young adults returning after college often move back in with parents. A mentor helps make that time productive: a job, a savings target, a career plan and a date to reassess. Our guide on a plan for after graduation is a useful start.
In person in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a long drive down the coast, so most Peninsula clients work with us online. Students who attend school in Southern California or visit regularly can meet a mentor in person in LA and continue by video at home.
How it begins
- Take a short assessment. Tell us about the student or yourself and the goals. It takes about five minutes.
- Have a free intro call. Our team reviews it personally and sets up a short call.
- Meet the mentor. We match each person with a mentor whose experience and style fit.
- Start the plan. 30 or 60 minute video sessions on a weekly or monthly plan, scheduled in your local time.
Where a mentor helps
A mentor gives practical guidance and steady accountability, not tutoring, therapy or admissions advice. For high school students, a parent is always involved: see mentoring for high school students. Young adults home after college often fit young adult mentoring. How video sessions work is on our online mentoring page.
Related
- Online mentoring in Silicon Valley
- Online mentoring in Santa Barbara and Montecito
- Mentoring in California
- How mentoring works
Common questions
Can we meet in person on the Peninsula?
No. Peninsula clients meet their mentor by video. In-person meetings are possible in Los Angeles.
Do you work with families in Salinas or Carmel Valley?
Yes. We work with families anywhere in Monterey County, and everywhere else in the United States, by video.
Can sessions continue if we travel part of the year?
Yes. Sessions are online, so they continue from wherever the client is, at the same weekly time.
Get started
Thinking about a mentor for someone on the Monterey Peninsula? 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.