If your son or daughter is at college in Los Angeles and you live somewhere else, a local mentor can be the steady adult nearby that you cannot be from home. Blackburn Mentoring pairs your student with one dedicated mentor who meets with them in person in Los Angeles or by video, helps them plan each week, keeps up with classes and life, and, with your student’s permission, sends you regular progress updates. The free 20 minute intro call is by video, so you can join from anywhere.
Why parents far from LA look for a mentor
Sending a student to college in Los Angeles means trusting them with a lot at once: a big, spread out region of about 9.7 million people (the U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 2025), new freedom, a new schedule and a new time zone from many families. Most students find their footing. Some struggle quietly, and from a distance parents hear about it late: a missed midterm, a class dropped without a plan, a call that sounds flat.
A mentor gives your student someone in Los Angeles who meets with them regularly, notices early when things slip and helps them use campus resources. It also gives you a way to know how things are going without becoming the person who asks about every grade. Our guide on parenting a college student covers the family side.
What a mentor does in the first year
- The first weeks. Every syllabus deadline in one calendar, a weekly routine, and a plan for sleep, meals and getting around.
- Before midterms. A study plan for each exam, office hours on the calendar and an early look at any class going wrong.
- Decisions with deadlines. Dropping a class, taking a W or changing a schedule, thought through before the deadline, not after.
- Finals and the second term. A finals plan, a review of what worked, and registration for next term done on time.
- Life outside class. Money, a job, friends and homesickness; see a homesick college freshman.
For more on the first year, see college transition mentoring and the first semester for parents.
In person in Los Angeles, by video when it is easier
Mentors meet students in person in Los Angeles at a convenient, appropriate place worked out on the intro call, and use video on weeks when that is easier, such as during exams or travel. Students without a car can get around by transit; students at a participating college may be eligible for the Metro U-Pass program, which gives unlimited rides on Metro services in LA County. Sessions are usually 60 minutes, weekly or several times a week, with text and phone check-ins between them, and mentors offer early morning, evening and weekend times.
If your student comes home for the summer or a break, the same mentor continues by video, scheduled in your student’s local time zone.
Parent updates, with your student’s agreement
Your student is an adult, and the plan works best when it is theirs. Parents often make the first call; the intro call is by video with a member of our team, weekdays 9 to 5 Pacific. With your student’s permission, the mentor shares regular progress updates on attendance, the weekly plan and how classes are going. If your student prefers more privacy, that is respected, and the mentor encourages them to keep you in the loop themselves.
What mentoring is not
A mentor is not a tutor, a therapist, an academic advisor or a guardian, and mentoring does not promise grades or outcomes. Mentors help students use campus advising, tutoring and counseling services, not replace them. If a mental health concern comes up, a licensed professional or the campus counseling center should come first. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Related
- College student mentoring in Los Angeles
- Mentoring for college students
- Academic coaching for college students
- When a college student is not calling home
- Free education resources for Los Angeles students and families
- Mentoring and coaching in Los Angeles
Common questions
My child goes to college in Los Angeles and I live in another state. Can a mentor meet them in person?
Yes. Mentors meet students in person in Los Angeles at a convenient, appropriate place agreed on the intro call, and use video when that is easier. You can join the intro call by video from anywhere.
Will I get updates on how my student is doing?
With your student’s permission, the mentor shares regular progress updates on attendance, the weekly plan and how classes are going.
Does my student have to agree?
Yes. College students are adults, and mentoring works best when the student wants it. Many parents make the first call and then the student joins the intro call.
What does a mentor do in the first year of college?
A mentor helps your student build a weekly routine, plan for midterms and finals, make decisions before deadlines, and use campus resources such as office hours, advising and tutoring.
Do you work with students at any college in Los Angeles?
Yes. Mentors work with students at public and private colleges, community colleges and trade programs across Los Angeles County.
How do we start?
Book a free 20 minute intro call. After the call your student is matched with one dedicated mentor within 2 business days.
Get started
Want to talk through a mentor for your student in Los Angeles? 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 20 minute intro call.
Free, by video, 20 minutes, with a member of our team. Weekdays 9 to 5 Pacific.