Off the Clock: As a mentor, Debbie Cohen found a new pathway to connect with students

Debbie Cohen started working in George Mason University’s Office of University Advancement and Alumni Relations in fall 2023 as the development coordinator for planned giving and parent and family philanthropy. Before coming to George Mason, she worked in another realm of education: as a middle school teacher.

Her passion for education fueled her involvement with another activity outside work: Cohen serves as a volunteer mentor with College Bound Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit serving public and charter school students in grades 8–12. Through its academic mentoring program, College Bound aims to help students enter college, earn a degree, and achieve their goals.

After leaving the classroom, Cohen felt like something was missing. She learned about College Bound by chance, when she walked by a booth at a street fair in the District.

“I left my teaching position and moved to this area just before the pandemic, and I was missing ‘my kids’—my former students,” Cohen said. When someone from College Bound asked if she would consider mentoring a high school student, “My answer was a resounding ‘yes,’” Cohen said.

Cohen mentored Gabriella Singh, a former high school student in Washington, D.C. For two years, Cohen and Singh met in-person once a week at a D.C. public library, along with other students and mentors from the program. They kept in touch outside those meetings and attended social activities with College Bound, too.

Since then, Singh has graduated from high school, but her connection with Cohen is now entering a new phase: Singh is a first-year student at George Mason this fall.

A history major, Singh chose George Mason for its location in Fairfax and proximity to professional opportunities in the nation’s capital. She also hopes to participate in a study abroad program.

Now that Singh has started college, she and Cohen are participating in College Bound’s virtual mentoring program, a critical part of helping students continue toward their goals of graduating college and realizing their potential.

Cohen encourages others to consider participating in mentorship programs. “There’s a need for positive role models everywhere, to help the next generation realize their dreams and their potential,” Cohen said. “I’m now an even bigger advocate and cheerleader for bringing others into this kind of mentorship opportunity to help make a difference.”

The opportunity to be another caring adult in the life of a young person means a lot, Cohen said.