; Whereas 90 percent of young people who were at risk for not completing high school but who had a mentor said they are now interested in becoming mentors themselves; Whereas mentoring can play a role in helping young people attend school regularly, as research shows that students who meet regularly with a mentor are, as compared with the peers of those students— (1) 52 percent less likely to skip a full day of school; and (2) 37 percent less likely to skip a class; Whereas youth development experts agree that mentoring— (1) encourages positive youth development and smart daily behaviors such as finishing homework and having healthy social interactions; and (2) has a positive impact on the growth and success of a young person; Whereas mentors help young people set career goals and use the personal contacts of the mentors to help young people meet industry professionals and train for and find jobs; Whereas each of the benefits of mentors described in this preamble serve to link youth to economic and social opportunity while also strengthening communities in the United States; and Whereas, despite those described benefits, 9,000,000 young people in the United States feel isolated from meaningful connections with adults outside the home, constituting a mentoring gap that demonstrates a need for collaboration and resources: Now, therefore, be it