Some of our students asked us to skip math one week. Just to talk.
That's when we knew we were building something different.
Creatures Of Mentors
The Idea
Most learning environments are transactional. You show up, cover the material, leave.
What we noticed is that something else happens when people learn together in a small, intentional space. They start asking different questions. They get curious about each other. They want to know how other people think, what they're working on, what they've figured out.
That's the thing worth building.
Creatures Of Mentors is a growing community of students, recent grads, and working professionals who show up to think and connect across the boundaries that usually keep people separate. Age, experience, background, field.
The conversations are real. The relationships are real. And for the students in it, having access to people who are a few steps ahead, who are honest about what they've learned and how they got there, is something most programs don't offer at all.
The Program
Sessions are small and intentional. A handful of people, a focused topic, and a facilitator who makes sure the conversation goes somewhere real. Students sit alongside recent grads and working professionals. Different stages, different perspectives. Over time, relationships form. That's the point.
The learning lives between people, not in the content.
What Makes it Work
When the group is right and the space feels safe, people ask questions they've been holding. They hear perspectives they wouldn't encounter on their own. They start to see themselves differently.
01
Small and Intentional
Groups are kept deliberately small. A handful of people. Enough to have a real conversation, not enough to hide in.
02
Across Generations
Students sit alongside recent grads and working professionals. Different stages, different perspectives. That gap is the point.
03
Facilitated
Every session has someone shaping the room. Bringing the right people in. Making sure the conversation goes somewhere.
“Over time, relationships form. That’s the point.”
Who Can Join
Students
Middle and high school students who want more than instruction. Who are curious about the world and the people in it. Who are ready to be in a room with people they don't know yet.
Recent Grads & Young Professionals
People who are a few steps into their journey and want to stay connected to learning. Who have something worth sharing and want to give it somewhere meaningful.
Experienced Professionals
People who've built something, learned something, or figured something out. Who believe that knowledge shared in conversation goes further than knowledge kept to yourself.
Samir Abukhodair
Program Director and Founder of Creatures Of
Samir Abukhodair is an educator, builder, and founder of Creatures Of.
With a background in engineering, design, and education, he brings a systems-minded approach to teaching that connects structure with creativity and learning with purpose.
Samir has worked across classrooms, startups, and community programs, helping students discover confidence through curiosity and connection. His work focuses on bridging academic learning with mentorship, emotional intelligence, and real-world problem-solving.
Through Creatures of Mentors, he is building a community where students and mentors learn to think deeply, collaborate meaningfully, and grow into compassionate, capable people.
Raphael Cohen-Shippee
Founding Mentor
Raphael Cohen-Shippee is a teacher, recent graduate, and aspiring entrepreneur. From studying sociology and entrepreneurship at Temple University, he learned how to analyze problems and develop impactful solutions. He is passionate about making a positive difference in peoples’ lives, and he believes that the most powerful way to do that is through education.
At Temple, he was a Career Advisor, tutor, social researcher, and President of the sociology club. He is currently a Student Success Coach in a public school in Philadelphia. In the fall, he will join Teach For America to be a middle school science teacher in D.C. He is also developing an educational game that utilizes AI to allow students to have open-ended conversations that develop their critical thinking and social-emotional skills.
He hopes to share some of his experiences to help guide and support mentees through Creatures of Mentors.
