Creating a safe space for every Hornet

LINK Mentoring

The Office of Belonging is about making sure our campus community is a safe and inclusive space for everyone.

Mission

The mission of Lynchburg LINK is to create meaningful, cross-campus mentoring relationships that support students throughout their academic journey. By connecting students with faculty, staff, and peer mentors, the program helps participants navigate challenges, discover purpose, and thrive, personally, academically, and socially. Through inclusive engagement and holistic development, LINK contributes to a vibrant campus culture rooted in belonging and lifelong learning.

Program Objectives

The primary objectives of the Lynchburg LINK Mentoring Program are to:

Promote belonging through relationships: Establish consistent, supportive connections that help students feel seen, valued, and at home at the University of Lynchburg.
Support holistic student success: Equip students with the tools, resources, and confidence needed for academic achievement, personal growth, and emotional well-being.
Expand access to mentorship: Provide personalized support to all students, especially BIPOC, Pell-eligible, first-generation, international, first-year, and under-involved students.
Build cross-campus community: Engage mentors from faculty, staff, and peer leadership to create a campus-wide network of care and empowerment.
Integrate experiential learning: Enhance the mentorship experience through engaging programming, workshops, service-learning, and/or culturally affirming off-campus opportunities.
Align with UESS strategic goals: Directly support UESS priorities related to student engagement, proactive mentorship, CliftonStrengths integration, resource accessibility, and operational excellence.

Interested in being a mentee?

Eligible mentees must:

Be currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at the University of Lynchburg.
Be in good academic standing and conduct.
Commit to active participation for the full academic year, including:
- Attending at least one LINK program event.
- Meeting with their assigned mentor at least once per month.
- Completing monthly check-in forms and biannual feedback surveys (fall and spring).

Mentee Registration

Click here to register.

Mentor Registration

Click here to register.

Interested in being a mentor?

Eligible mentors must:

Be University of Lynchburg faculty or staff (full- or part-time)
Be current students with junior status or higher serving as peer leaders (with good academic standing and conduct).
Commit to the following expectations:
Active participation for the remainder of the academic year in which they enroll
Complete mentor onboarding and orientation
Meet with mentees at least monthly
Attend at least one LINK Program event
Submit monthly check-ins and biannual surveys (fall and spring)

Frequently Asked Questions

Registration

Lynchburg LINK operates on a rolling matching model. Students and mentors may apply throughout the academic year, allowing individuals to join the program when they are ready rather than waiting for the next application cycle.

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, and participants are matched as compatible mentors or mentees become available.

While LINK strives to make matches as quickly as possible, match timing may vary depending on participant preferences, availability, and the number of active mentors and mentees.

How do I get matched?

Fill out a registration form when it is open!
At the time of registration, mentees are matched with faculty, staff, or peer mentors based on shared preferences such as identity, interests, academic or career goals, communication style, and availability.

What if I don’t click with my mentor/mentee?

No worries at all! If the match doesn’t feel like the right fit, you can request a reassignment at any time. We’ll do our best to match you with someone new. Just keep in mind that if all mentors are currently paired, you may be added as an additional mentee to an existing mentor.

If no one is available, you may need to wait until the next semester for a new match. Either way, we’ll work with you to make sure you’re supported.

Is this program required?

Lynchburg LINK is not a required program; however, we do highly encourage students to consider mentoring, especially if you identify as any of the following:

First-year students
First-generation college students
Pell Grant-eligible students
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)
International students

Is there a cost to join?

No, this program is free!

What if I get busy or need support?

Everyone can get a little busy here or there, but you can let us know using our monthly check-ins. While we want all LINK Participants to be actively engaged, if something comes up, just let us know! We will do our best to work with you.