Just when I thought we had hit a plateau for the year we added another match bringing our total pairs to nine! Slowly but surely word is spreading about the positive impact of mentors especially in the middle school and I continue to get more inquiries. I have a few middle school girls to connect with in the next few weeks and very few mentors waiting. I would love to see some new applicants come through (male and female) and possibly get the process started to becoming a mentor.
The process of closure for the school year is in full swing. Even though we have a little over two months left a lot will transpire in those weeks. I am taking photos of the pairs, planning for Lynden Christian’s first end of year celebration (a boat cruise with Lynden pairs in May), scheduling end of year interviews, and putting together questionnaires to see what is working and what could use improvement. I love getting the feedback at the end of the year it is both encouraging and gives me insight into how we can continue to grow.
STORY:
A middle school student was matched midway through March. During their first meeting they covered a lot of topics and activities, but one thing they talked about at length was cake- a particular strawberry adorned cake! This pair was partly matched because I had heard from the mentor’s references that she was quite an artsy baker and when meeting with the student before matching the two she mentioned wanting to try a few things in the kitchen. So, after going back and forth a bit to figure out exactly what the mentee was envisioning they settled on a flavor and design. For week two, I lined up for them to have access to the kitchen at the high school, the mentor brought decorating supplies and a cake she baked from scratch at home, and they got to work. The result was a beautifully decorated and delicious treat with fresh strawberries. The mentee couldn’t wait to bring some home to show it off and share with her family.
UPDATES + UPCOMING PLANS:
· Nine matches are now meeting regularly- we started with four at the beginning of the school year which means we have doubled our pairs and added a bonus.
· End of Year boat cruise- May 20th
· Be The One apparel is being ordered for mentees and mentors- Thank you to our community supporters who provide the items to those involved in our program.
· Planning for next year!