Blackburn Mentoring works with families, students and adults in Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Kernersville, Lewisville, King and the rest of Forsyth County by video. You are matched with one dedicated mentor, sessions are scheduled in Eastern time, and quick text or phone check-ins fill the days between them. Our team is based in Los Angeles, so every Winston-Salem session happens online.
From tobacco town to medical city
Winston-Salem built its fortune on tobacco, textiles and banking, and the old brick factories downtown still show it. Many of those buildings now hold research labs, offices, apartments and restaurants, because health care and academic medicine have become the city’s largest line of work. Hospitals, clinics, biotech startups and research groups hire at every level, from nursing assistants and lab technicians to scientists. Finance and legacy manufacturing remain, and the city has long called itself a city of the arts, with a strong theater, music and craft scene. The older Moravian settlement at the heart of town gives the place a sense of history that newcomers notice right away.
Young adults finding a way into health care
Because so many jobs here are in health care, a lot of Winston-Salem young adults start in one: as a certified nursing assistant, patient transporter, pharmacy technician, medical assistant or front-desk coordinator. It is steady work with a visible ladder, and it is easy to stall on the second rung. A mentor helps someone in that spot:
- Map the credentials between where they are and the role they want, and what each one takes.
- Plan coursework around twelve-hour or rotating shifts without burning out.
- Decide whether health care is the long-term field or a good first job before something else.
- Save toward a move out, with a real date on the calendar.
See our guide to a first job in health care and our page on young adult mentoring.
Adults ready for a change
Winston-Salem is an older metro, and mentoring here is as useful for adults in their thirties, forties and fifties as it is for students. Some spent years in manufacturing or banking and want something new; others are returning to work after caring for family. A mentor does not hand anyone a career, but helps them name what they want, break it into weekly steps and keep going when the first few applications go nowhere. See a career change at 50 and early career mentoring.
Teens in Forsyth and the surrounding counties
High school students here range from downtown neighborhoods to small towns in Davie, Stokes and Yadkin counties, where a part-time job or activity can mean a long drive. A mentor gives a teen one consistent weekly conversation and a plan they helped write. With a teen client, a parent takes part in the intro call, agrees the goals and can get updates as needed. Mentors work on planning, motivation and follow-through; they are not tutors or therapists.
Session times from Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem runs on Eastern time, three hours ahead of our mentors in Pacific time.
| Slot | Winston-Salem (Eastern) | Mentor (Pacific) |
|---|---|---|
| After school | 4:30 pm | 1:30 pm |
| After a day shift | 7:00 pm | 4:00 pm |
| Late evening | 7:45 pm | 4:45 pm |
Health care workers coming off a night shift often take a morning session instead, and Saturday and Sunday sessions are also open. You always see the time in Eastern.
Winston-Salem by the numbers
These figures are for the Winston-Salem metro unless marked as state level (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, via Census Reporter).
- An older population. The metro’s median age is 41.1. That means a smaller peer group for teens and people in their twenties than in a college town, so finding peers and first jobs can take more effort, and a mentor helps a young person build that network on purpose.
- Money pressure is real for some families. The metro poverty rate is 12.5%. Mentors schedule flexibly around jobs and family duties, and a budget is often one of the first things a young adult builds with their mentor.
- About a third hold a degree. 33.4% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In a city full of health care roles that require certificates rather than degrees, there is more than one good route, and the plan should fit the person.
- A typical drive. The mean travel time to work is 23.9 minutes. Meeting by video means no extra trip across Forsyth County after work.
- Many young adults have moved out. At the state level, 28.3% of North Carolina adults ages 18 to 34 live with their parents, below the 32.9% national figure (FinanceBuzz analysis of 2024 American Community Survey data). For those still at home, a mentor helps set a realistic plan to launch.
The local calendar and common questions
North Carolina law keeps traditional-calendar public schools from opening before the Monday closest to August 26 and has them finish by the Friday closest to June 11 (N.C. General Statutes 115C-84.2, state level). That makes late July and early August a good window to start with a mentor before the school year. Summers are hot, winters are mostly mild, and the occasional snow or ice storm can shut the region down for a few days. The holiday season is a big deal in a city with Moravian roots, with candlelight services and traditions that bring families home. Families here most often ask us about direction for a young adult who has stalled, support for a college student, structure for a teen, and whether evening sessions are possible after a long shift.
Winston-Salem or Greensboro?
The Triad’s two largest cities are only half an hour apart, and many people live in one and work in the other. Winston-Salem is older, with health care at the center of its economy; Greensboro and High Point are younger, with more college students and more logistics and furniture work. If your family is closer to Guilford County, see online mentoring in Greensboro and High Point.
Related
- Online mentoring in Greensboro and High Point
- Online mentoring in Charlotte
- Online mentoring in Raleigh and Durham
- Online mentoring and coaching in North Carolina
- How online mentoring works
Common questions
Do you serve Winston-Salem, Clemmons and Kernersville?
Yes. We work with clients in Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Kernersville, Lewisville, King, Walkertown and nearby towns in Davie, Stokes and Yadkin counties. Everything happens by video, so distance across the county does not matter.
What time are evening sessions in Winston-Salem on Pacific time?
A 7:00 pm session in Winston-Salem is 4:00 pm for your mentor in Pacific time. We can also book after-school slots from about 4:00 pm Eastern, early mornings and weekends.
Is mentoring in the Triad done by video?
Yes. Our team is in Los Angeles, and the only in-person sessions we offer are there. Winston-Salem clients meet their mentor by video and keep in touch by text and phone between sessions.
Can a mentor help someone who works in health care?
Yes. Hospital and clinic schedules are common here. The mentor plans sessions around shift schedules and helps map the next credential or role.
Do you work with adults, not just students?
Yes. We work with anyone 13 and older, including adults changing careers or returning to work. Adults decide what, if anything, is shared with family.
Get started
Thinking about a mentor for someone in Winston-Salem or Forsyth County? 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.