Skip navigation The Mentor Connection

What is The Autodidact Symposium's Mentor Connection?

The Mentor Connection is for passionate people seeking guidance, support and wisdom from another, more experienced passionate individual. These volunteers are genuinely enthusiastic about the autodidactic lifestyle and helping young and grown unschoolers find their own unique paths.

We probably have a mentor for you if:

• you want to get those ideas out of your head and onto paper and in the real world.
• you're looking for an internship on a sustainable farm.
• you want to enroll in a college, or receive an official school-style transcript.
• you have a business idea and you want it to become tangible.

    These are just a few examples!

By attending The Autodidact Symposium, you will have an opportunity to meet all of these potential mentors and also have access to "The Symposium Mentor Connection"— a series of individualized, beautifully designed online pages of all our mentors with their bios, their mentoring history, their contact info, and their offerings.
Check them out below!






How To Use The Following Mentor Listings:
Below you'll find a list of people passionate about learning and supporting other self-directed learners. These mentors are offering their time, knowledge, and assistance on what they know best. Under each photo is a list of topics that they'll be available to discuss. By clicking their name, you will be redirected to their own Symposium Page where you can get to know each of them and understand more of what they have to offer. We highly encourage getting to know what each mentor offers before the Symposium, so that you know whom to talk to at the Mentor Mixer! You'll find contact information for each mentor below– please feel free to contact them before and after the Symposium!


Introducing Our Mentors…



Allen Ellis

• Multimedia
• Filmmaking
• Computer Programming

Amy Childs

• Podcasting
• Composting
• Writing
• Alternative Relationships
• Listening and Understanding What Is Really Going On

Ben Lovejoy

• Business Communications (resumes, job applications, letters of recommendation, and other forms)
• How to ask for Money from Individuals and Companies
• Critiquing Presentations, and Negotiation Skills
• Cycling (Commuting and Multi-day trips)
• Hosting House Concerts

Blake Boles

• Entrepreneurship

Brenna Dee McBroom

• Artistry
• College as an Unschooler
• "Rising out" of School

Clint Stonebraker

• Relationship Advice
• Advice on Drug and Alcohol Abuse
• Professional Writing
• Entrepreneurship

Danielle Conger

• Sustainable Agriculture
• Farming Internships
• Literary Studies

Evan Hunter Wright

• Listening
• Finding Solutions
• Planning Ambitious Projects and Events
• International Travel
• Marine Biology
• Internships
• Living with "Learning Disabilities"
• The Life of Albert Einstein
• The US Supreme Court

Kelly Lovejoy

• Entrepreneurship - the peaks and the pitfalls
• Making a living from your passions
• Networking and (people) connectivity
• Gardening
• Horses
• Dogs
• Restauranteur/Catering

Sean Ritchey

• Designing Projects
• Entrepreneurship

Wes Beach assists students and families by answering questions and providing guidance where needed.  He can also enroll students in Beach High School and support them in following their independent paths, and he can provide transcripts and diplomas.  He often works at a distance with people in counties beyond his own and in states other than California.