MENTOR Nebraska (mentornebraska.org), the unifying champion of Nebraska’s mentoring movement, announced the 2024 honorees of the Annual Excellence in Mentoring Awards. The honorees exemplify the wide range and profound impact of mentorship in Nebraska, showcasing how mentoring relationships can provide encouragement, motivation and meaningful engagement for young people.
This year’s awards ceremony honored young leaders, mentors, advocates and mentoring practitioners in Nebraska, including four individuals from the Omaha Metro:
Young Leader of the Year: Alejandra Wells, Founder of Hiya and Burke High School Student
This award recognizes young people (eight to 24 years old) who are involved in a mentoring program and have demonstrated service to their community and great leadership potential. The Young Leader of the Year recipients receive a $500 scholarship.
Mentoring Practitioner of the Year: Andrew Alemán, Deputy Director of People Power & National Partnerships for Black and Pink National and Principal Consultant for Andrew Alemán Consulting
This award celebrates a mentoring practitioner who has made tremendous contributions to young people and the mentoring field.
Mentoring Advocate of the Year: Dr. Marquisha Frost, Executive Director of The Sanctuary Collective and Senior Vice President of Strategic Engagement and Initiatives at Nebraska Children and Families Foundation
This award recognizes a foundation, company, organization, or individual who has made a significant impact on young people by using their influence and public platform to support mentoring opportunities or mentoring initiatives.
Mentor of the Year: La’Ron Jones, Intentional Peer Support Specialist, Nebraska Department of Correctional Services
This award honors an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to mentoring by helping a young person reach their full potential.
MENTOR Nebraska is a non-partisan, 501 (C)(3) nonprofit organization that unites our statewide mentoring movement. Learn more at mentornebraska.org.