This evening with other volunteer college mentors, I attended a Migrant 101 workshop at the high school. "You helped me better understand migrant student's lives and increased my empathy and compassion," I told the instructor.

We had a fascinating discussion. Some of the volunteer college mentors were new.

"Do some students feel they are pimping out their life story on college applications? In a New York Times article, a young man wrote exactly that."

"Last year, the girl I mentored didn't want to call her mother 'mentally ill' in her essay," I said. "I gave her that. She didn't want to label her mother so I honored her request."

"Do their parents see me as a white savior?" one woman asked. "I worry about that."

"Their parents see your good heart and kindness," I replied. "All of you. Students go home and talk about you, how you are helping them. Parents grow fond of you through their kid."

"One mother made me beautiful, hand-embroidered pillowcases. Another mother stitched my likeness on a quilt for her daughter to take to college!"

I collapsed forward on the table, burying my face in my arms and groaned. They laughed.