In conjunction with an NSF-funded mentoring program that partners University of Utah engineering professors and their undergraduate and graduate students with high school students from several Salt Lake City high schools that have a high percentage of low income and ethnic minority students, the Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science (AMES) students continued on a journey of self discovery that may, in some way, help with the national STEM challenge. AMES is a high-performing Title One STEM early college high school in Salt Lake City. Teachers learned that a key factor in moving students from aspiration to achievement is mentoring. The NSF program and other AMES campus efforts, the required AMES community-based internship program, opportunities with mentors, role models, and supportive adults in STEM fields prove to be turning points and driving forces in the lives of aspiring AMES students. In this article, the author shares perspectives from his experiences as a specialized school director in Utah, focusing on the importance of mentoring relationships in changing minority students' aspirations into achievements.