Mentor program aids at-risk kids in Prince George's schools

As an eighth-grader at G. James Gholson Middle School in Landover, Daja Tyree said, she had a bad temper and no goals.

Now, two years later, Daja says her outlook has changed, a fact she credits to her involvement in the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, a program available at five Prince George's County schools that targets students who are at risk of dropping out and pairs them with mentors for tutoring, planning or just chatting. The mentors are adult employees of the nonprofit Hillside who have offices in the schools. "It's hard to find someone who talks to you and who understands you," Daja, 16, said. "Once you find that person, you don't want to let them go."