Thank you for your interest in volunteering with WSOS!
By signing up to volunteer, you will join a dedicated community focused on helping the next generation prepare and launch their careers in Washington state.
Volunteer opportunities
Option 1: Mentor a student for the academic year
You will mentor an Opportunity Scholar one-on-one for their academic year (October – May).
Time investment: One hour per month over an eight-month period (the academic year). Most mentors and mentees meet virtually.
Option 2: Provide drop-in mentorship services to CTS students
Provide insight and advice to Opportunity Scholars on a as-needed basis. Share your availability with us and Scholars will have the option to sign up for 30-minute drop-ins with you. All meetings will happen virtually (February 2025)
Time investment: At least one hour per week for the duration of the program.
Option 3: Become an essay reviewer
Every time we open a scholarship application, we receive applications from hundreds of talented Washington students. Your job would be to review and score applicants’ short answers to help WSOS select the next cohort of STEM, trade, and health care leaders.
Time investment: Three to four hours
Mentor a student for the academic year with the BaS Skills that Shine program
The BaS Skills that Shine mentorship program connects working individuals with Opportunity Scholars to help Scholars build their career readiness skills. Mentors and mentees are provided with guides to help them navigate the relationship, with possible topics like networking, interviewing, building a resume, etc.
By becoming a mentor, you can play an essential role in supporting Scholars in their career development journey.
The details:
The mentorship program runs from October through May. Mentors typically meet with their mentees eight times throughout the year.
You will mentor students in the Baccalaureate Scholarship who are earning their bachelor’s degrees in high-demand STEM and health care majors. These students have a wide range of skills and interests and are studying computer science, aerospace engineering, conservation, and more!
Scholars range from recent high school graduates to students entering college a few years later and are from every corner of Washington state.
”Giving back as a mentor required me to articulate my job function, professional goals and my company’s vision. Mentorship requires you to reflect and have thoughtful discussions, which promotes self-growth. It feels good knowing you are a valuable role model.”
– Mason, Skills that Shine mentor, engineer
Provide drop-in mentorship services with the CTS Skills that Shine program
The CTS Skills that Shine program offers flexibility and accessibility for Scholars who value access to a mentor but need a mentorship program that is less commitment. Mentors will share their biography and availability to meet with Scholars, minimally an hour a week, during February. The information will then be added to our scheduling page where Scholars can schedule a meeting to discuss career development-related topics.
“The mentorship program helped me work on my weaknesses and helped me develop my computer science skills… I am proud to be a Washington State Opportunity Scholar.” — Yusuf, Opportunity Scholar alum
Become an essay reviewer
Each student applying for a scholarship writes short-answer essays as part of the application process. By signing up as an essay reviewer, you’ll help carefully review and score each essay to help select the next generation of Washington leaders!
The details:
Volunteers share that reviewing essays typically takes them three to four hours.
You will be provided with a scoring rubric and training on how to score applicant responses.
Once the applications are all received, you will be sent an online portal to log in to with your batch of applicant short answers responses, ready to be scored.
Reviewing applicant essays is a great way to learn about the next generation of Washington leaders and help advance the WSOS mission. We receive a lot of applications, and community volunteers are necessary to ensure each application gets the time it deserves.
Note: Some applicant essays can include triggering or difficult topics.
”I’ve been so impressed and humbled by
the [students] I have seen who, thanks to
this incredible program, have managed to
juggle all those things while still thriving,
growing, and engaging.”
– Douglas Lepar, WSOS Volunteer, Consumer Sales Director, Microsoft
Frequently asked questions
Am I qualified to be a volunteer?
Volunteers range from recent Opportunity Scholar alums to seasoned professionals and retirees — and everyone in between.
If you’re interested in mentorship, we ask volunteers to be willing to support their mentees’ career development and soft skills to help prepare them for their careers. Since our programs focus on developing soft skills, mentors don’t need to be experts in their mentee’s field of study.
How will I be paired with a mentee?
BaS
Opportunity Scholars select their mentors based on their values, background, and interests. Once selected, you will receive an email with next steps and instructions for how to contact your mentee.
CTS
There is no formal matching or pairing in this program. Opportunity Scholars will select meeting times that work best with their schedule.
If I sign up, am I guaranteed a spot?
If you’re applying to be an essay reviewer, you will be guaranteed essays to review and score.
BaS
If you’re applying to be a mentor, you are not guaranteed a mentee match. Sometimes we have more mentor volunteers than mentee requests, so volunteers aren’t selected, but we encourage them to sign up to be mentors again in the future.
CTS
If you share your availability and biography, your schedule may not work for some Scholars. It is not guaranteed that all your meeting slots will be booked.