Matilda Raffa Cuomo

Matilda Cuomo, Former First Lady of New York, founded the first statewide, school-based, one-to-one volunteer mentoring program in in the country in New York when her husband Mario Cuomo was governor. That program continues as Mentoring USA, a leading national provider of one-to-one site based mentoring programs to enable young people to realize their potential. Mentoring USA’s curriculum and mentor training is nationally recognized and includes not only a comprehensive anti-bullying program, but also diversity, anti-violence, financial literacy, arts, academic support and healthy lifestyles initiatives. Mentoring USA’s program has a proven track record of success -- 100% of the students in Mentoring USA’s school-based mentoring programs moved on to the next grade level last year and all students are expected to advance to the next grade level this year as well. Mentoring USA works with young people from elementary school to youth aging out of the foster care system, including at-risk youth, adopted and foster care youth.