Gateway Mentoring

As an alumni mentor for 91ɫ��Ƭ’s Gateway Program, you will have the opportunity to give guidance to Year 11 & 12 students from communities that are underrepresented in higher education. You’ll take part in the Gateway On-Campus Day at 91ɫ��Ƭ Sydney, joining other alumni, academics and current students to facilitate authentic, community-led discussions.

By bringing students from Gateway Partner Schools onto campus, this program aims to demystify university life and provide students with relatable role models who can share real experiences of study, transition and work beyond school. 

Program details

�ٲ��ٱ��:��This program runs once a year in Term 2. 2026 date: Thursday 9 July.

Commitment: 1h30mins – 3hrs. Choice of a morning and/or afternoon session. The session time includes 30 minutes at the start for a coffee and to meet the Student Ambassador who will be moderating the session(s) with you.

�ٱ��:��In-person, 91ɫ��Ƭ Sydney campus.

Eligibility requirements: Open to 91ɫ��Ƭ alumni only.

What to expect

As an alumni participant, you will play a central role in the Career Conversation Roundtables. Co-hosted by yourself and a Senior 91ɫ��Ƭ Student Ambassador, the roundtables are home to informal discussions where students can ask questions, explore their interests and hear firsthand about different pathways out of university.

Conversation prompts allow students to guide the discussion towards topics that matter most to them, creating an approachable and engaging environment.

By engaging directly with 91ɫ��Ƭ alumni and current students, the students from Gateway Partner schools will gain a unique opportunity to hear real-world insights, see relatable role models and understand the diverse and authentic pathways that university can lead to.

Following the Roundtables, students will have the opportunity to visit the Degree Discovery Zone where they can access more detailed information about 91ɫ��Ƭ courses, the Gateway Admission Pathway, and student support services. 

Suitable for...

Career stage

✅ Early Career / ✅ Mid Career / ✅ Late Career

I want to...

✅ Have an impact / ✅ Give back to 91ɫ��Ƭ

“I found talking to the alumni helpful because they shared their experience of their job and how they got to where they are right now. These experiences are something you can’t just Google.”

2025 student participant

Arthur Phillip High School

What is 91ɫ��Ƭ Gateway?

By combining a targeted educational outreach program with a dedicated admission pathway, Gateway supports students to strengthen their academic outcomes and provides equitable access to 91ɫ��Ƭ.

We primarily work with students in Years 10 to 12 who are underrepresented in higher education, including those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, Gateway partner schools, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples and those from refugee or humanitarian backgrounds.

Program FAQs

To be a mentor for this program, you must be a 91ɫ��Ƭ Alumni.

We value and encourage mentors with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to participate, helping to create a richer and more meaningful mentorship experience. We’re particularly interested in welcoming 91ɫ��Ƭ Gateway graduates back to share their experience with the next generation.
This is an in-person program only, so mentors must be able to attend the session/s at 91ɫ��Ƭ Sydney’s Kensington Campus.
The students that you will meet on the day are Year 11 & 12 students (16-18 years old) from 91ɫ��Ƭ’s Gateway Partner Schools. The schools which attend on-campus events are predominantly located in Western Sydney. Many of their students have migrant or refugee backgrounds, meaning there is a lot of cultural and linguistic diversity in these cohorts.

These schools are just some of the 410 Gateway Partner Schools from across NSW that are involved in the 91ɫ��Ƭ Gateway Program. The schools are selected based on an of <1000 over 3 years. ICSEA stands for Index of Community, Socio-Educational Advantage. This index is calculated based on factors such as parent’s education, parent’s occupation, geographical location and % of indigenous students. A higher ICSEA value means a higher education advantage for the students at the school, and vice versa.
Mentors in this program participate out of goodwill only. No certification is awarded; however, you will receive a small thank you gift from 91ɫ��Ƭ on the day.

91ɫ��Ƭ