CSDE Affiliate Kristian Jones (Social Work) just published a new article, “Friends in Our Lives: Perspectives of Young People Who Participated in a Professional Mentoring Program,” in the Journal of Applied Youth Studies. Despite the emerging utilization of professional mentoring programs, little is known about the ideal characteristics of a professional mentor and young people’s experiences in these professional mentoring programs. Jones and co-authors interviewed 12 young people who participated in the same professional mentoring program in different regions of the United States. The participants discussed their ideal characteristics in a mentor, highlighted factors that made the professional mentoring program impactful to them, and shared their ideas on how to improve the overall program.