Students and young adults in Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and across Northern Colorado can work with a Blackburn mentor by video. Each person has one dedicated mentor, meets weekly or more often in Mountain time, and checks in by text or phone between sessions. Our team is based in Los Angeles; all Northern Colorado sessions happen online.
A Front Range city with a long reach
Students shape much of the Fort Collins calendar, from move-in week in August to quiet summers. Old Town, the Poudre River trail, Horsetooth Reservoir and the craft breweries give it an easygoing, outdoorsy character. Beyond that, the economy includes engineering and technology firms, health care and agriculture across the Front Range.
College students who need structure
Campus life in a fun, outdoor town is great until it is not. Some students fall behind in the first year, skip classes or lose a semester to too much freedom. A mentor helps them rebuild: a weekly schedule, a plan for each class, a conversation with an advisor, and short check-ins between sessions. Parents can read our guides on a college student skipping class and academic probation.
Teens growing up in Northern Colorado
For high school students in Fort Collins and the surrounding towns, the region offers a lot: trails, rivers and mountains nearby, and a growing job market. Common goals we help with include:
- Building a steady homework and study routine that does not fall apart in ski season or summer.
- Finding a first job or volunteer role and handling it reliably.
- Exploring careers in engineering, environmental work, health care or the trades.
- Making a realistic plan for after graduation, whether that is college, work or a gap year.
Young adults who stayed after graduation
Plenty of people come to Fort Collins for school and decide to stay. Rents have risen, though, and good entry-level jobs can be competitive. A mentor helps recent graduates set up a job search routine, think through whether to stay or move to Denver or elsewhere, and build a budget that works. See unemployed after graduation.
Scheduling and seasons
Colorado is one hour ahead of Los Angeles, so a 5 pm session in Fort Collins is 4 pm for the mentor. Sessions continue through winter breaks, summer jobs and travel, which matters for students who leave town between semesters.
Each student works with one dedicated mentor for 30 or 60 minutes, weekly or several times a week, with short text or phone check-ins in between. Families of high school students stay involved through the intro call, shared goals and regular progress updates. College students decide what is shared with parents, and many choose to keep them in the loop.
Where a mentor helps
A mentor is steady accountability and practical guidance from an adult outside the family. Mentors are not tutors, therapists or academic advisors. College students usually begin with mentoring for college students, and families with a student starting school may want college transition mentoring. More on video sessions is on our online mentoring page.
Fort Collins and Northern Colorado for students and young adults
Northern Colorado’s economy goes well beyond campus: engineering and technology firms, a craft beverage industry, agriculture and oil and gas work in Weld County, health care and public research. Loveland, Windsor, Timnath and Wellington have grown quickly, and the drive to Greeley or Denver on I-25 and Highway 34 is part of life for many. Rents have risen sharply, so recent graduates often piece together several part-time jobs or share housing.
Wildfire seasons have reshaped how people think about summer in the foothills, with smoke days and closures. Winters bring snow and occasional icy commutes, while spring and fall are prime for outdoor life. Young adults here often build their week around trail time and taproom jobs, and the challenge is turning that lifestyle into a sustainable career and budget. High schoolers in the newer towns may be the first in their friend group to have moved here, and they are building a social life from scratch while the community around them is still taking shape.
Situations that come up often in Northern Colorado
- A college student closes a taproom late several nights a week and struggles with morning classes.
- A young adult working oil field or agriculture jobs in Weld County wants more predictable hours.
- A recent graduate juggles three part-time jobs and has no clear sense of monthly income.
- A teen in a new subdivision in Timnath or Wellington has not yet found a group of friends.
- Smoke days interrupt summer plans and outdoor jobs, and routines fall apart.
Fort Collins keeps Mountain time, so sessions are scheduled in that zone, by video. We meet in person only in Los Angeles. Northern Colorado families may like budgeting with irregular income and careers for people who like working outdoors.
Related
- Online mentoring in Denver and Boulder
- Online mentoring in Colorado Springs
- Mentoring in Colorado
- Helping a struggling college student
- Education guides for families
Common questions
Can a parent stay involved with a college student’s mentoring?
With the student’s permission, yes. Mentors can share progress updates with parents and coordinate with professionals already involved.
Do sessions continue over summer break?
Yes. Sessions are online, so they continue whether the student stays in Fort Collins or goes home for the summer.
Do you work with students at any college in Northern Colorado?
Yes. We work with college students anywhere in the United States, at any kind of school, by video.
Are mentors academic advisors?
No. Mentors help with planning, habits and follow-through, and encourage students to use their school’s advising and support offices.
Get started
Have a student in Northern Colorado who could use a mentor? 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.