Yes, you can work with a Blackburn mentor from Des Moines. Students, families and young adults in West Des Moines, Ankeny, Waukee, Johnston, Urbandale and across Central Iowa meet one dedicated mentor by video, scheduled in Central time, with text and phone check-ins between sessions. Our team is in Los Angeles, so every session is online.
A fast-growing metro with steady roots
Des Moines is the state capital and one of the country’s major centers for insurance and financial services, with large employers downtown and in the western suburbs. Agriculture and agribusiness, manufacturing, health care and state government round out the economy. The suburbs have grown quickly, especially Waukee and Ankeny, which means many schools are newer and many families are newer to the area too.
Des Moines by the numbers
Four facts about the Des Moines-West Des Moines metro from Census Reporter (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, via Census Reporter), and one about Iowa:
- 41.6 percent of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (metro level, ACS 2024 1-year via Census Reporter). Expectations around college can run high in a metro this educated, and a mentor helps a teen build the habits that grades depend on without turning every week into a referendum on the future.
- Median age: 36.9 (metro level, ACS 2024 1-year via Census Reporter). Des Moines skews young, with plenty of people in their twenties and thirties starting careers in finance, insurance and government, many of whom moved in from smaller Iowa towns.
- Mean travel time to work: 21.4 minutes (metro level, ACS 2024 1-year via Census Reporter). Commutes are short, but winter roads are not always friendly, and a session from home removes one more drive from a January week.
- Poverty rate: 8.7 percent (metro level, ACS 2024 1-year via Census Reporter). Most young adults here have real job options close to home, which makes the question less about finding work and more about choosing the right next step.
- 21.6 percent of Iowa adults ages 18 to 34 live with their parents (state level, 2024 ACS data compiled by FinanceBuzz; the U.S. share is 32.9 percent). Young Iowans tend to move out earlier than their peers nationally, so many are managing rent, budgets and loneliness on their own sooner.
The steady path and the question underneath it
Central Iowa offers a lot of stability: good jobs, affordable homes and a short commute. That is a real advantage. It can also make it hard for a young person to ask whether the obvious next step is the right one. Mentors here often help someone answer questions like:
- Should I take the solid job I was offered, or try something less certain first?
- Do I want to stay near family, move to a bigger city, or try one and decide later?
- Is college the right next step for me right now, or would a trade, a certificate or a gap year fit better?
- I am a few years into a good job. Why do I feel stuck, and what can I change?
A mentor does not hand down answers. They help a person gather information, try small experiments and decide. See how to make a five-year plan and young adults feeling stuck.
Session times from Des Moines
Des Moines is two hours ahead of Los Angeles. Here is how typical sessions line up:
| Slot | Des Moines (Central) | Mentor (Pacific) |
|---|---|---|
| After school | 4:00 pm | 2:00 pm |
| After practice or a part-time shift | 6:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
| After a downtown workday | 7:00 pm | 5:00 pm |
| Evening | 8:00 pm | 6:00 pm |
Early-morning sessions before school or the office and weekend sessions are both available. Iowa and California observe daylight saving time on the same dates, so the two-hour gap is constant.
The late-August start and an Iowa winter
Iowa law says the school calendar cannot begin before August 23 (state level, Iowa Code section 279.10). That gives Central Iowa families a longer summer than most of the country, and a later start than many students’ friends in other states. It also means a teen can spend most of August working or relaxing and walk into the first week with no routine at all. Starting with a mentor in early August gives a student two or three weeks to set a sleep schedule, a homework block and goals for the first quarter.
Winters are cold, windy and long, with winter break from late December into early January. Spring can bring severe weather, and late summer can be hot and humid. Video sessions continue through snow days and storm warnings.
Growing up and starting out in Des Moines
In Central Iowa, plenty of teenagers earn their first real paycheck in the fields. Detasseling corn in July is a rite of passage, with early alarms, long rides out of town and a lump of savings by August. Many young people from small towns an hour or two away move into Des Moines for a first office job, often renting in the East Village, Beaverdale or along Ingersoll, and live on their own for the first time.
Des Moines also has long-standing refugee and immigrant communities, so many students are the first in their families to work through American college applications and financial aid forms. Downtown workers often move between buildings on the skywalk system all winter, which keeps them warm and can quietly shrink their world to a desk, a parking ramp and a screen.
Situations that come up often in Des Moines
- A teen finishes a summer of field work with real savings and no idea what to do with them.
- A twenty-two-year-old from a small Iowa town moves into a downtown apartment and feels lonely by October.
- A first-generation student from a newcomer family handles deadlines and forms that their parents have never seen.
- A young professional realizes they have gone days in January without stepping outside the skywalks and wants a better routine.
Mentoring is not therapy, tutoring or admissions advice, and mentors can coordinate with professionals already involved when the client agrees. Teens start with mentoring for high school students, with a parent involved; recent graduates often fit early career mentoring. Learn how video mentoring works on our online mentoring page.
Related
- Online Mentoring and Coaching in Iowa
- Online mentoring in Omaha
- Online mentoring in Minneapolis
- Online mentoring in Kansas City
- Young adult mentoring
- Tips for first-generation college students
Common questions
When do Iowa schools start?
Under Iowa law, the school calendar cannot begin before August 23, so Des Moines-area classes start in late August. Families who want a strong start often begin mentoring in early August, while there is still time to set routines.
What times work for Des Moines clients in Central time?
A 4:00 pm after-school session in Des Moines is 2:00 pm for your mentor in California, and a 7:00 pm session after work is 5:00 pm Pacific. Early-morning and weekend sessions are available too.
Can a mentor help a recent graduate with a first job?
Yes. Many young adults start in insurance, finance or government roles in Des Moines and want help with the first year. A mentor works on routines, goals at work, money and building a life outside the office.
Are there in-person sessions in Iowa?
No. In-person mentoring is only offered in Los Angeles. In the Des Moines area, every session is by video.
Can a mentor help a student decide between college and a trade?
A mentor helps a student explore options, talk with people in each field and make a plan. They do not give admissions advice, but they can work alongside a school counselor.
Get started
Want to see whether a mentor fits someone in Central Iowa? 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.
Last updated .
Free, by video, 20 minutes, with a member of our team. Weekdays 9 to 5 Pacific.