Over the seven years Mary Lynn Delfino has been at Kent State, she always made it her mission to help students – through advising, recruitment and retention efforts. She clearly understands the value of higher education and the career opportunities for college graduates; however, she also knows that mentor-mentee relationships can provide an extra boost for some students, regardless of the college or university they attend.
Delfino is the senior assistant director of marketing and communications for Regional Campuses enrollment management and recruitment. Reflective of her commitment to student success, she was just recently named the 2026 Mentor of the Year for College Now Greater Cleveland.
“I first learned about College Now when I was an admissions counselor at Kent State Geauga and the Twinsburg Academic Center,” Delfino shared. “College Now sponsors a college fair for seniors in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District every fall, and I represented Kent State for several years. Of course, I also started receiving other communications from the organization, which is how I found out about the mentoring program.”
First known as the Cleveland Scholarship Program, the organization began in 1967 and provided college scholarships to high school graduates from the Cleveland Municipal School District. It was later renamed College Now Greater Cleveland and, with the addition of the Mentoring Program, became the nation’s largest comprehensive college access and completion organization.
College Now helps students of all ages through strategic partnerships with school districts, higher education institutions and community-based organizations to drive meaningful regional progress. College Now advisors work in more than 90 middle and high schools across Northeast Ohio, providing one-on-one support to help students plan for their futures and succeed.
Delfino was nominated for this award by her mentee, Sarah Manning, a junior at Cleveland State University who studies graphic design. In her written nomination, Manning stated that Delfino does “an amazing job” as a role model and is a strong pillar for others.
“…Not only does Mary Lou give me advice on how to get through college, but everything related to life,” Manning wrote. “She has the emotional intelligence to help me work through family problems; the political knowledge to help me be an advocate for what I believe in; and the kindness to care about me unconditionally.
“…Mary Lou has become an amazing role model when it comes to problem solving and helping me figure out the type of person I want to be. She reminds me not to be too hard on myself and that I can’t make everyone happy,” she continued. “I don’t think I’ve met anyone who’s as selfless and headstrong as Mary Lou, which is what makes her such an amazing mentor. In my opinion, Mary Lou has gone above and beyond as a mentor, and our relationship has greatly impacted who I have become these past few years.”
Delfino explained that she first met Manning in September 2023 after completing an online application with College Now. Through that process, prospective mentors share information about their educational background, work experiences, volunteer activities, interests and reasons for wanting to participate in the program.
“They are very intentional about pairing mentors and mentees who share similarities,” she said. “For Sarah and me, our initial connection points were our commuter student status and majoring in a communications-related field. A bonus? We both played high school softball. That alone helped break the ice during our first meeting.”
Those meetings have continued regularly over the last few years. The two are expected to meet at least twice a semester, either in person or virtually.
“Since (Sarah) lives in Lorain County, we usually meet up in person, alternating locations on the west side, downtown, and east side, where I live. Throughout the year, we also share our perspectives as mentor and mentee about the various prompts College Now suggests using the program's communications platform and (covering) topics like filling out the FAFSA, writing resumes and cover letters, landing internships, to name a few,” Delfino noted.
“However, as a mentor, I believe the most important thing I do is listen. While I have occasionally offered concrete advice about academics or finding an internship, Sarah entered college as a strong student, so she knew how to manage her time and study. But, like me, she is a first-gen student, so more often than not, we talk about balancing school, family, work, friendships and setting realistic expectations for success,” Delfino continued.
“She also shares her portfolio with me as she works on graphic design projects. As someone who works in the communications field, I love being able to talk shop about her work and affirm the ways in which she is growing as a designer.”
Delfino earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from Marywood University in Scranton, Pa., and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from the University of Dayton. Her work at Kent State and her involvement with College Now provides the perfect pathways for her to help lead students to successful outcomes.
“I have always felt a strong call to accompany and mentor young adults within the context of higher education, whether as a Catholic campus minister or as an admissions counselor,” she said. “In my current role in marketing and communications, I am behind the scenes, and mentoring allows me to continue fulfilling my vocation in a meaningful way.
“Officially, the relationship, as defined by College Now, ends upon a student's graduation. However, Sarah and I already know that we'll stay in touch after she graduates in Spring 2027.”
Delfino invites others to become involved with College Now which is always seeking new mentors, especially male-identifying mentors. Information is available on its website at http://cngc.org/mentor.