Mentor Coordinator Report
Summary of the year:
Program health:
The Be the One program at Lynden middle school has done well for itself this year. At
the beginning of the year, we had 12 mentor matches. At the end of the school
year, we now have 30. Last year our turnover rate to the high school was very high, as
we sent a lot of matches up. The program remains popular among students as there
have been times this year, where the waitlist has exceeded the number of active
matches. The program is more visible than it ever has been, with students actively
coming and seeking out mentorship in larger and larger numbers. These numbers
showcase not only the acceptance of the program among the student population, but
also the dedicated efforts of the staff to support the program over the course of the year.
Staff support:
Be the One has always been a team effort. The number of ways of the staff has helped
the program grow is inspiring. Whether it’s teachers allowing students to meet their
mentors when the school schedule is tight or counselors recommending students to the
program, the support of the staff has been excellent. So often, programs like be the one
can feel disconnected or tacked on to school infrastructure. But here at Lynden, middle
school, the program benefits from dedicated staff who have been an immense help to
the program over the years.
Student voices:
The students in the program have been a driving force in recruiting this year. There
have been many times where a new student will come to my office and inquire about
the program on the recommendation of their friends. Students trust students, there is no
better review than a middle schooler, telling their friends that they should join the be the
one program because it’s fun, helpful, and makes their day better. People can
sometimes think that mentorship is only a long game benefit. That students won’t
understand the full benefit of the mentorship until later in life, however, based on the
glowing reviews that the students give for their mentors right now, it’s safe to say that
most students in the program understand and appreciate the good things that come with
having a mentor.
Mentor feedback and suggestions:
Through our end of the year survey, mentors, who were in the program this year, have
the opportunity to provide suggestions and feedback for the program. We asked them
what kind of training they would like to see in the upcoming year, as well as
improvements to the program that could be made. Below you will find a selection of the
recommended improvements and feedback for the program.
● A few mentors expressed interest in acquiring more arts and crafts material for
the program. Although we have sketchbooks and colored pencils, they had
students that were more interested in paper crafts and other handicrafts.
● The training that we had this year for post high school planning and healthy
boundaries were very popular among the mentors. The most requested topics for
training next year were: social media, bullying, post high school planning (again),
and other topics related to continuing education.
● Recommendations to improve the program were centered on
communication of schedule. A few ways to improve this would be to distribute the
schoolwide calendar to the mentors as well as develop a framework to alert
mentors when there are changes to the schedule.
Mentor quotes:
● “I love spending time with my mentee! She gives me hope that the world will be a
better place with her in it. She is intelligent, funny, and a genuinely decent
human. I was absolutely terrified of doing Be the One at the middle school level.
But, I find that the middle school aged kiddos just need a consistent smiling face.
They may not respond to you and your smile, but they will still like it. My
response to anyone who’s afraid to step out and try mentorship is to give it a
shot. Well, I often don’t love what’s going on in our world, I hope my small
contribution helps change something and improve the lives of my mentee.“
● “Mentoring a middle schooler has been a delight. The whole world is starting to
open up to them. Their growth through educational and extracurricular activities
seems exponential and is an exciting thing to be a part of. Being there to listen to
them and guide them through challenging situations through asking questions
and helping them understand their place in the world is rewarding.”
● “Sometimes I think my student does not really need a mentor. He has his
proverbial “stuff“ together“
● “While our meetings started off slow, and it felt like the student wasn’t interested
in the mentorship, by the end of the year, it felt like the meetings were having a
meaningful impact on the student.“
Student feedback and suggestions:
Just like their mentors, the students in the program also partake in a survey at the end
of the year. Here they offer their opinions on the program and how to improve it going
forward. Although most middle schoolers don’t write too much on the survey, they still
love to talk about the program and how to make it better. Below you will find some of
their suggestions as well as quotes about their mentors that they wanted to share.
Student suggestions:
● The only changes that students recommended was the ability to go on their
phones during the meeting. That way they could play their favorite games with
their mentors and show their mentors photos. It’s a general rule at Lynden middle
school to not have your phone out, however, I always tell the matches that
they’re allowed to show each other photos from vacation as long as they don’t
spend the entire meeting on their phone.
● A lot of students wanted to meet with their mentor for longer or more than once a
week.
THE FINAL NUMBERS
● 30 matches at the end of the year
● 27 students out of 30 want to return next year. The 3 others are thinking
about it.
Number of Current Matches: 30
Submitted by Samm VanKirk – VankirkS@lynden.wednet.edu