Testimonials

As a recent high school graduate, I can't express enough how much the college mentorship program(CMP) has meant to me. Transitioning from high school to college can be overwhelming, but this program provided the guidance and support I needed to feel confident and prepared. My mentor was incredible—someone who had already been through what I was about to experience. They offered advice on everything from choosing the right courses to managing my time effectively. Beyond academics, they helped me navigate the social aspects of college life, offering tips on how to get involved on campus and make meaningful connections. What I appreciated most was the personal connection we built. My mentor was not just a guide but a friend who genuinely cared about my success. They shared their own experiences, both the successes and the challenges, which made me feel less alone in my journey. This program has not only helped me prepare for the academic demands of college but also gave me the confidence to embrace this next chapter of my life. I’m so grateful for the support and encouragement I received, and I know that the lessons I’ve learned here will stay with me throughout my college years and beyond.

CMP has given me invaluable experiences both academically and socially. Academically under the guidance of Dr.Aydos we were able to prepare for pre-college assessments and college itself. He also taught us valuable soft skills needed to be productive members in the workforce. Socially, the trips we went on taught us how to work as a team, be resourceful, and play hard after working hard! Along with helping me make fond memories, CMP has helped me so much throughout higschool, college, and my career.

I am incredibly grateful for the guidance and support that Aslihan Cakmak provided to my son during his college application process. From the very beginning, she demonstrated a deep understanding of the college admissions landscape and offered invaluable insights that helped us navigate this challenging journey. She took the time to get to know my son, understanding his strengths, interests, and aspirations. This personalized approach ensured that the advice and recommendations were tailored specifically to him. Aslihan was always available to answer our questions, provide feedback on essays, and offer encouragement when needed. Thanks to Aslihan's expertise, my son was able to present his best self in his applications and was accepted into his top-choice schools. We couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated and knowledgeable counselor. I highly recommend her to any family seeking expert guidance in the college admissions process. Though she still follows up the issues my son experiences as he is a junior in college. Thank you so much Aslihan Cakmak.

I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Cakmak during my time at Rutgers, and her guidance was invaluable to my college experience. Dr. Cakmak provided exceptional support through every step of the process, from navigating course selections to career planning. Her deep understanding of the academic landscape and personalized approach made a significant difference in my academic journey. Thanks to her expertise and encouragement, I felt confident and well-prepared to achieve my goals. I highly recommend Dr. Aslihan Cakmak to any student seeking dedicated and insightful counseling.

CMP, or the college mentorship program, under the guidance of Dr. Aydos has provided me with a great source of leadership skills that have propelled me into a fulfilling college career. With the pre-college mentorship, Dr. Aydos has supported me with SAT and college preparation, expanding skills outside of just basic academics. While still reinforcing advanced mathematics and English, I was also able to also explore professional and social development and hone in on those skills. This has allowed me to earn the Congressional Award at the status of a Gold Medal. I had a great deal of fun and learning under Dr. Aydos, who has inspired me to reach out and support my own surrounding community.

I am writing to personally recommend Aslihan. Aslihan was my mentor while I was a student at Western Governor’s University. Since that time, we have remained both professional contacts as well as friends.

Aslihan was truly instrumental in helping me obtain my Bachelor’s degree in Finance. During her time as a mentor she showed exceptional organization skills in helping me and many other students identify their course load, find the resources needed complete our independent study programs, and graduate on or before schedule. If there was any possibility of not finishing my degree, her diligent assistance and inspirational support pushed me to the finish line.

Her ability to motive the students she was assigned to has been game changing both for myself and many others. That motivation has carried into the careers of all her students, and she continues to reach out to us to inspire us to continue down the road of success. The fact that she continues to reach out many years after being in the scope of her job responsibilities speaks of her genuine interest in our success.

Aslihan is an unparalleled individual and would be a great benefit to any employer. I would recommend her without reservation.

Aslihan was my mentor for my undergrad degree while I attended Western Governor's University. Her dedication and commitment to seeing me finish my degree and graduating made me feel as if Aslihan really cared about me personally rather than just someone doing their job. Without Aslihan's support and helpful guidance, I think I would have given up. If you want someone to go the extra mile for you, and to give you everything they've got, Aslihan will do just that!

Aslihan was my mentor at Western Governors University. WGU is a non-profit initiative of the Western Governors Alliance. Its goal is to facilitate adult education via competency based assessments. WGU does away with the classroom but connects learners to a virtual academic community. Students can test out on already established competencies or pursue independent learning or instruction via a variety of community resources. Hands-on projects such as bookkeeping for fictitious businesses and student driven business planning provide students with opportunity to receive constructive criticism and develop portfolios. The WGU experiment has proven to be a cost-effective solution to adult education while ensuring academic standards via standardized tests and providing creative opportunity via special projects. The program’s success is demonstrated by the fact that several states have now opened WGU satellite programs as state sponsored schools.

Competency based education is challenging. It requires a great deal of intrapersonal drive because the program is self-directed. This fact is demonstrated by WGU’s 40% graduation rate. It is in this regard that I was fortunate to have Aslihan as an academic mentor. Aslihan insisted on regular contact and was persistent in motivating me to push forward at an accelerated pace. In this role Aslihan was as much a coach as she was a mentor. She helped me set goals and counseled me through anxieties while connecting me to the learning resources that I needed.

I had the opportunity of having another mentor prior to Aslihan and I can say from this experience that Aslihan was significantly more driven to see me succeed. In fact, I was a little intimidated after my first consultation with Aslihan because it was evident that she expected more of me each semester than my prior mentor. But I am grateful that Aslihan raised the bar and kept the pressure on me to move forward. I finished my Bachelor’s degree in three years and decided continue my education (with Aslihan’s encouragement).

I have since earned degrees from Skidmore College, the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and taken seminars and earned graduate credit from Indiana University and Harvard University as a consortium student. It’s been a great experience and I have worked with some real world-class scholars. Notwithstanding, I believe in the WGU experiment, and am forever grateful to Aslihan Cakmak for being my mentor (and coach). It started at WGU with a world-class mentor. Aslihan is a true visionary who is at forefront of a modern and experimental (yet proven) approach to education.

Aslihan was my program mentor during my four years at Western Governors. She knew that it was hard for many of her students to go to school, especially online where you are working independently and also working a full time career. Aslihan was dedicated to my success and always helped to guide me when I needed her. I would highly recommend her as a mentor because her best attribute is her passion for education and her students success.

Aslihan was my program mentor and guide at my online education program. She is smart, kind, caring and dedicated my success. She goes above and beyond for her students and knows the ins and outs of adult education institutions. She knows what it takes to succeed and school work and passes that in to her students willingly and freely. I would recommend her as a mentor and guide who has a passion for education and her students progress.

I've had the pleasure of having Aslihan as a mentor through my university. Aslihan is compassionate, diligent and never shys away from offering concrete advice. She's always aspiring to do her best and in the process inspires many people. Whether the path is carved for her or she may have to do it on her own, she has the determination and persistence to prove herself an asset to any organization she's a part of.

I had the pleasure of working with Aslihan as a non-traditional student, (Adult returning to finish my Bachelor’s Degree). I cannot speak highly enough about Aslihan’s dedication and flexibility as a coach and mentor. She allowed me to accelerate my course load in the areas where I had significant life experience and assisted me in acquiring the resources needed to complete the course work where I did not.

After completing my B.S. in Business Management, I went on to finish my M.B.A. in Business Administration with a different mentor. The difference in the level of engagement, encouragement and assistance was stark. I did not appreciate how much Aslihan contributed to my success until I was comparing her exceptional dedication and care to her counterpart’s attempt to perform the same function. While I did finish my M.B.A., it was not a smooth, nor as enjoyable a process as was obtaining my B.S. Degree with Aslihan mentoring me.

Without hesitation I would recommend Aslihan’s services to any student looking to further their education and knowledge base.