Yes. Families and young adults anywhere in Arizona can work with a dedicated Blackburn mentor by video. Most of Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year, which means it matches Los Angeles in summer and runs an hour ahead in winter. The Navajo Nation in the northeast observes daylight saving time, and we schedule in whichever local time a client actually keeps.
The clock question, answered first
Because Arizona skips daylight saving, families here get used to the rest of the country shifting around them twice a year. We handle that on our side. Your session stays at the time you picked on your clock; the mentor adjusts. That is especially useful for students with fixed practice and school schedules, and for professionals who already juggle calls across time zones.
A big state with two large metros
Arizona’s population is concentrated in the Phoenix metro, the Valley of the Sun, which spreads across Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale and Peoria. Tucson, to the south, is the second hub, with its own distinct desert culture. Outside those two, distances open up fast:
- Flagstaff and the high country, cooler, pine-covered and home to a university campus.
- Prescott and the Verde Valley, popular with families and retirees.
- Yuma in the southwest corner, a center of winter vegetable farming.
- Tribal nations, which cover a large part of the state, including the Navajo Nation in the northeast.
For a student in Show Low or a young adult in Lake Havasu City, the right in-person mentor might be hours away. Video makes that irrelevant.
What drives the economy
Arizona’s economy has diversified well beyond its old reliance on copper, cattle, cotton, citrus and climate. Today it includes semiconductor manufacturing and advanced electronics, health care systems, financial services and back-office operations, aerospace and defense, construction and real estate tied to steady population growth, and tourism from the Grand Canyon to resort towns. Agriculture still matters, especially in Yuma and the central valleys.
Plenty of young adults move to the Valley for jobs and a lower cost of living than the coasts. Moving to a new city for work is a classic moment when a mentor helps: building a routine, a budget and a social life from scratch.
Schools, choice and higher education
Arizona is known for broad school choice. Alongside traditional public districts, the state has a large charter school sector, independent and religious schools, and many families who use open enrollment or education savings accounts to pick a school. That flexibility is useful, but it also means students change schools more often, and each change resets routines.
After high school, the state’s public universities run large campuses in metro Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff, and they draw a lot of students from other states, particularly California. Community colleges across the metros offer a common route into those universities. See mentoring for community college students if that is your student’s path.
What that means for students and young adults
- High schoolers juggling school, club sports and summer heat that flips daily routines indoors. A parent or guardian is always part of the plan: mentoring for high school students.
- College students on very large campuses, where it is easy to get lost in a lecture of hundreds: mentoring for college students.
- Students who came from out of state and are building a life far from family. Parents elsewhere can stay informed with the student’s permission.
- Young adults and professionals new to the Valley or ready for a next step: young adult mentoring.
Pages for areas in Arizona
For more on how sessions run, see online mentoring and our page for families. Other states are on the mentoring by state page.
Related
Common questions
Does Arizona’s lack of daylight saving time affect session times?
Not for you. Sessions stay at the time you chose on your Arizona clock all year. In summer that is the same as Los Angeles time; in winter Arizona is one hour ahead.
We live on the Navajo Nation. Which time do you use?
The Navajo Nation observes daylight saving time, so we schedule in the time you actually keep. Just tell us on the assessment or intro call.
My child is coming to Arizona for college from another state. Can you help?
Yes. A mentor can work with the student by video in Arizona and, with permission, share progress with parents back home.
Do you meet in person in Phoenix?
No. Our team is in Los Angeles, and Arizona clients work with their mentor entirely by video, with text and phone contact between sessions.
Get started
Want to talk through what your student or young adult needs? 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.