There's quite a bit of potential for a young professional to stay in Syracuse.

That's a message behind a new “Believe In Syracuse” career mentoring program that will be launching soon.

In preparation for the program, professionals in the Greater Syracuse area are being asked to step up, as they're needed to serve as role models.

If you're a pro in the Greater Syracuse area, you may be able to help a young adult as he or she transitions into college and then the workforce. This is a partnership between Believe In Syracuse and the Syracuse Say Yes Scholars Program. There is a list of about 30 Say Yes Scholars from the Syracuse City School District looking for mentors.

The goal is to pair a student up with a young professional in their desired field. While the student works through college, a mentor can guide them in the right direction when it comes to internships, connections and job information.

The program is designed to help young students stay focused, but also help them with career information that wouldn't get anywhere else.

"We firmly believe that by fostering these relationships, by connecting them to a network of professionals, and just by preparing them for the workforce, that students and families will see opportunities here, and they'll want to stay, because Syracuse is a great place," said Say Yes Syracuse Executive Director Ahmeed Turner.

Turner said by fostering this sense of belonging now, students will choose to stay here in Central New York for work and that can in turn boost in the economy.

You can spend as little as a half hour to an hour a week just having conversations with a young individual, and you don't have to meet in-person. You can also do this through video conferencing, texting or social media.

For more information about the Greater Syracuse Mentoring Program, you can visit the Believe In Syracuse website. You can also email Mentoring@BelieveInSyracuse.org.