Mentor Coordinator Report
Number of Current Matches: 46 active matches
Highlights:
The most matches of all time at Lynden Middle School!
5 new matches were made this month.
1 student will remain on our wait list until next year.
15 potential students interested or referred to the program
661 hours of mentoring so far this school year
All students were interviewed by community members about their mentoring relationship this year. These interviews gather insight from the students about their experiences with the mentoring program. We use the data to write reports, assess mentoring relationships, and give mentors constructive feedback and encouragement.
Upcoming:
End of the Year Event for Mentors & Students – May 30th
Personal surveys given to the students and mentors about their experiences.
Stories & Quotes To Share:
Playing the Waiting Game
A mentor shared with me an encouraging story about his student. The two often play basketball when they get together. In fact, they play basketball about 95% of the time. This is the way they connect. The student is not big on “talking” or sharing personal things. Week after week, the mentor would show up and play basketball with his student, without forcing a deeper conversation. However, after waiting patiently for almost two years, the student told the mentor one day, “can we skip basketball and just talk?” The student openly shared about hard things he was facing. The mentor simply listened, and the student felt a new freedom to share. The mentor told me this was HUGE for a student who keeps things to himself. Trust is built every time a mentor shows up. Patience goes a long way to build that trust.
A Milestone
For the first time in our program history, two Spanish speakers (who do not speak English) have been trained as mentors to meet with students. I matched these two mentors with students who needed Spanish speaking mentors to connect with. They have been together now for about 6 weeks and both pairs seem to be thriving. Connecting on a cultural level can be valuable for some students in the mentoring program.
Mentors are Absolutely Essential
Recently, it has been evident how essential mentors are in the lives of students. When students need help and trust their mentor, they often feel the freedom to share about difficult things. A mentoring relationship can actually save lives in some ways. Just in the past month, mentors have helped students:
• Talk to the right people to get proper medical care.
• Seek help when they were having thoughts of suicide.
• Stand up to unwanted sexual harassment.
• Calm down and avoid getting in fights with other students.
Submitted by Brian Clemmer – clemmerb@lynden.wednet.edu