Mentee Handbook

Congratulations on your decision to attend the University of Hawaii at Manoa. We are pleased you have chosen to study here and we hope all of us at the International Student Services can help you get settled and adjusted to your life in Hawaii.

YOUR MENTOR

The Mentorship Program was established to provide a friend to help you embark on your new adventure in Hawaii. The person paired with you can help you develop a support network as you adjust, answer you questions or direct you to someone who can. Your mentor can become a vital link to your understnading of Hawaii's community life.

Mentors are recruited by our Mentorship Program Coordinator. Each mentor fills out an application and goes through a screening process. The coordinator carefully goes through the applicants of both mentors and mentees to match up the participants, trying to honor any specific requests on behalf of the mentees. The match is made by the Coordinator according to similar features like gender, home country, language, area of study, hobbies, etc. The mentors receive a similar handbook and have some training to better understand how to help you.

ANOTHER RESOURCE

Your mentor may contact you via e-mail before you arrive. You may begin to ask questions and start to get to know each other a bit better before meeting in person. Before the semester begins, ISS will be having party at which you and your mentor can officially meet. There will also be a Welcome party during the first week of classes where you can meet other international students.

We hope you enjoy your time at the University of Hawaii. You mentor is one resource for you to ask questions and make friends. Please do not hesitate to contact us regarding any questions you have, including ones about your mentors.

REMINDERS

Be open to the culture of the United States, in particular to that of Hawaii. Understanding and patience are essential in dealing wiht any issue that may arise between yourself and your mentor. If you have any questions or a problematic/uncomfortable situation arises, please contact us immediately.