Jason Torres, Engineer and Virtual Volunteer, Builds Bridges to College

Virtual Destination College Team

At ScholarMatch, we make college possible for underserved youth.

In 2010, we started off as a college drop-in center on Valencia Street and have since expanded our services to reach 2,000+ high school youth across the nation, thanks in part to our Virtual Destination College program. Our virtual platform connects passionate volunteers to high school seniors from California to Kentucky to even Hawaii, making higher education more accessible for under-resourced students.

Without the unwavering support of our volunteers, we would not be able to fulfill our mission of sending hundreds of students to college every year. We had the chance to meet with Jason Torres and learn more about his experience as a Virtual Volunteer.

Jason is a New Jersey native who currently resides in San Francisco as a Mechanical Engineer

Hi Jason! Where did you go to college and can you tell us a little bit about your experience there?

“I studied Mechanical Engineering and Physics at Rutgers University. It was a mixed bag — I would say I didn’t get serious about college until sophomore year when I started to figure out what I wanted to do and what I was happy doing. Overall, I feel like I learned a lot and I met a lot of people. One of the most important things that I learned was getting help from people who were offering it.”

What was your favorite thing about college?

“I would say it was the relationships that you develop, having gone through a bunch of different extracurriculars. Another best thing were the classes and listening to amazing professors who were not only smart, but knew how to tell a good story — that’s really important. I was also part of this thing called the Pi Club, where we would go out to local middle schools and talk to students about what it’s like being in the STEM field, and that was a lot of fun.”

Jason with classmates at Rutgers University working on launching a tiny rocket (L), and with his mother at his college graduation (R)

Can you describe your experience mentoring your virtual student?

“It’s been great hearing about their story and learning about their struggles. It’s been really motivating to give back. My student lives in a more rural part of Pennsylvania. One of the things that stuck out to me when I first talked to him was that he was actually not sure if he wanted to go to college. Aside from high school, he was also doing vocational programs in manufacturing, which I thought was great because that’s in demand for working at start-ups. But he also expressed interest in learning more about theoretical stuff and engineering. Overall, he’s a good kid and a smart guy. He responds right away, he’s really respectful, and he’s enthusiastic! He always strives to do his best.”

What was it like working on college applications and personal statement essays?

“The most grueling part of our interactions was around Christmas time, when he was trying to get all of his essays done. It was fun, too — he wrote an essay for an application and he sent it to me and I edited it and then I sent it back to him. He also asked other people for feedback, which I thought was great, because he had other resources. I think he’s a really good storyteller, so I think that really helped his applications. He has a good story to tell in terms of where he came from, how he resolved some of his personal issues, and where he wants to be in a few years.”

Jason recounting his experience mentoring his high school student to Cristian, the Senior Program Coordinator of our Virtual program

You’re returning for your second year as a volunteer in the 2018–2019 academic year — any piece of advice for new volunteers joining our Virtual Destination College program?

“I would say be patient and kind of learn your student’s communication methods. Just because they’re not responding doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t want to be involved. Get to know them! Things will be good overall.”

Do you have a fun fact or a special hobby, talent or skill that you want to share about yourself?

“I’ve never met someone else who can wiggle their ears!”

Shortly after this interview, we received news that Jason’s virtual student will be attending Villanova University in the fall. Go Wildcats!

Got a college degree and want to pay it forward? Join ScholarMatch in making college possible for high school students across the nation by signing up to become a Virtual Volunteer. Not only will you receive extensive college advising training from ScholarMatch, you’ll also provide crucial mentorship to high-achieving students from around the country. Virtual Volunteer will support their students from June 2018-June 2019.