Cedar Valley United Way
Progress Report 2014-2015
Target Issue: Education – Connection to Work
Women’s Philanthropy Connection
2014-2015 Request: $6,565
Women to Women Career Mentoring
2014-2015 Award:
$5,720
Number of unduplicated participants anticipated to be directly served by the program annually: 35
 Are there changes to your original number of anticipated participants based on current
conditions? If so, what is your new anticipated number of clients served annually?
no change
o Please also provide the reason for this change if applicable:

Total number of actual participants: Phase 1: 27
# and % of participants
that enroll, persist, and
complete education that
will help them get and
keep family-sustaining
employment and
positively engage in
community life
# and % of participants
that are on track to
successfully exit this
program (**see below)
Phase 1*
25 OR 92%
25 OR 92%
Phase 2: 7 (unduplicated) TOTAL: 34
Phase 2*
5 OR 71%
(this count only
reflects # and % of 7
additional students
who joined the
mentoring program
at the beginning of
second semester)
5 OR 71%
Cumulative Totals*
30 OR 88%
30 OR 88%
** Please describe how you define/measure whether a client is “on track to successfully exit
the program” for these reporting purposes: We define a successful program exit as a student
who either graduates from Hawkeye, transfers to another 2-year institution or continues
their education at a 4-year educational institution. At this point, we feel confident that the
students have obtained the skills necessary to apply for a better job and be successful. We
additionally try to follow up on students as they move on to either another college or
workplace within the year following their departure from HCC.
Your choice as it relates
0 (we could not
0 (we could not
to connection to work:
ascertain reason ascertain reason for 2
(# of students dropping
for 2 student
student drops this
out of program due to
drops this
semester)
financial difficulties)
semester)
*Report only unduplicated numbers
Based on the above information, what changes, challenges or improvements are being
implemented or experienced to impact the effectiveness of the program?
Phase 1= July 1, 2014-December 31, 2014
Phase 2=January 1, 2015-June 30, 2015
Report Due: January 15, 2015
Report Due: July 15, 2015
Cedar Valley United Way
Progress Report 2014-2015
Target Issue: Education – Connection to Work

Phase 1:
This year, the Mentoring Program transferred its leadership to a new Coordinator, Gloria Paulsen.
Because Gloria had been shadowing the past coordinator over two years, the majority of this transition
went quite well. However, the paperwork required for clearance to perform background checks was
difficult and time consuming. The Engagement Committee will be working with Gloria to find potential
solutions to this difficulty and thus ease this transition for the next program coordinator.
Another challenge for the program was the reluctance of some mentees to follow through on
communicating with their mentors. This has been a constant struggle for the program; while we know
that our students are generally considered “high risk” and have many issues in their lives, it is very
difficult for a mentor to help when the student will not return calls or emails. Lack of communication
leads to frustration on the part of both mentor and mentee. While the importance of this follow through
has been continually emphasized in the Mentee Orientation, we will strive to place even more emphasis
on communication in the spring semester.
Finally, the efforts of our Administrative Assistants and the Engagement Committee have resulted in
an increased number of mentees enrolling in the program this fall. This increased number is a definite
positive, and in fact a goal that we have been striving for over the past four years. However, that
positive has also resulted in the challenge of finding additional mentors. For the first time, we believe
the program will reach its promise of reaching 35 women in one year. We will continue to work to find
mentors for these women by coordinating outreach efforts with Cedar Valley United Way, John Deere
Women’s Reach, and our own individual contacts.
 Phase 2:
One of the highlights of this year is that the program came very close to attaining its goal of serving
35 students during the school year (we served 34). As noted in the Phase 1 report, we feel that much of
this success is due to the efforts of our current Administrative Assistant and members of the Engagement
Committee. The Program Coordinator and our Engagement Committee Chair Dean Nancy Henderson
did an outstanding job of locating mentors for each of the mentees, and as evidenced by the cumulative
totals, the Mentoring Program is still enjoying great success.
Communication remains one of our biggest challenges; in fact, several students who dropped this
semester were carryovers from last semester that consistently failed to respond to their mentors’
attempts to contact them. Again, we know that our students are considered high risk, but it is
disheartening when students fail to return phone calls or emails to set up meeting times. We will
continue to stress the need for the mentees to communicate their challenges and difficulties to either the
Dean of Students or the Program’s Administrative Assistant rather than just “dropping off the radar”.
Phase 1= July 1, 2014-December 31, 2014
Phase 2=January 1, 2015-June 30, 2015
Report Due: January 15, 2015
Report Due: July 15, 2015
Cedar Valley United Way
Progress Report 2014-2015
Target Issue: Education – Connection to Work
It was noted that transferring all of the clearances for performing background checks was difficult
and time consuming during the first semester. This issue engendered much discussion at the
Engagement Committee meetings and with United Way staff. At this time, the current Program
Coordinator will most likely continue to do background checks during 2015-16. However, should the
program continue to be funded in 2016-18, we are considering the possibility of providing a small
stipend to a United Way staff member who would serve in a permanent capacity to perform background
checks.
Finally, we will be retaining our current Administrative Assistant for the upcoming year. This is
great news for our program, as Shelly Studer has proven to be an able assistant and an outstanding
advocate for the Mentoring Program.
Share at least one of the “success stories” or accomplishments that a participant has experienced
during each reporting period. This must be participant focused and aligned with the intent of this
award.

Phase 1:
Michelle (Shelly) Studer joined the Mentoring Program in January 2014 as a mentee. At the age of
45, Shelly had endured many personal tragedies and difficulties. In 2008, her husband lost his job in
the economic downturn and they subsequently lost their home. Shelly has struggled with alcoholism
in the past, but has been clean for eight years and is highly involved in the “Celebrate Recovery”
program along with her husband. Through this program, Shelly has acted as a mentor for many
women and couples struggling with the same issues, and has helped many people who have come to
rely on her for support. However, in the winter of 2014, Shelly was feeling overwhelmed by school
and her many responsibilities, and felt the strong need for someone to support HER for a change.
She was matched with a mentor who, in Shelly’s words, “is there for me, and who gives me
someone to go to when I am worried about school, need advice on my career path, and just need
support in general”. In August of 2014, Shelly assumed the position of Administrative Assistant for
the Women to Women Career Mentoring Program. She has been an outstanding representative for
the program, bringing a real enthusiasm for the program to her recruitment of new mentees from the
Hawkeye Campus. Shelly is continuing work on her degree in Marketing Management, and will
graduate in May 2016.
Phase 1= July 1, 2014-December 31, 2014
Phase 2=January 1, 2015-June 30, 2015
Report Due: January 15, 2015
Report Due: July 15, 2015
Cedar Valley United Way
Progress Report 2014-2015
Target Issue: Education – Connection to Work

Phase 2:
Micha Conard is a 2015 graduate of Hawkeye Community College with a degree in graphic arts.
While her mentor Mary Miller did not have a background in this particular area, she was able to
place Micha in contact with a professor of Graphic Arts for the University of Northern Iowa. This
professor offered Micha extensive assistance in discerning what was good and not good in her
portfolio, and offered to continue to help her in any way that he could.
Micha also emailed her final portfolio to her mentor, who reviewed it for grammar and spelling.
Mary noted that Micha was an extremely responsible young woman who often lacked selfconfidence. As her mentor, Mary encouraged Micha to view that sense of responsibility as a major
asset. Micha enjoyed her association with Mary and stated that she felt very positive about her time
in the Career Mentoring Program.
After graduation, Micha successfully found employment in her field with Read Photography.
Phase 1= July 1, 2014-December 31, 2014
Phase 2=January 1, 2015-June 30, 2015
Report Due: January 15, 2015
Report Due: July 15, 2015