Mentor Coordinator Report
Stories & Quotes To Share:
A perfect match takes time……. sometimes
I was chatting with two students in my office about the program and how their mentor relationships were developing. One student, let’s call him Student A, jokingly commented on how long it took to find a mentor for him. He said, ‘It was worth the wait, but it took 2 months!’
I explained to him that finding the right mentor-mentee match is different each time. We don’t just randomly assign people. We carefully consider each student’s interests and goals to find a mentor who is a good fit. This process can sometimes take time, but it’s crucial for building strong and supportive relationships within our program.
Just then, Student B, who had been quietly listening, piped up, ‘It only took three days to match me!’
Student A, with a playful grin, exclaimed, ‘Wooooooooooooooooow!’
We all had a good laugh. While some matches happen quickly, others require more time. This is a good example of how important it is to have a full mentoring pool to draw on for match making. We want to ensure the right match for the mentors and mentees alike. We have a wide variety of students from all kinds of backgrounds with many different personalities seeking a listening ear in a mentor.
We always have students waiting. Encourage your friends to visit our mentor interest page to learn more about becoming a mentor.
Holiday Snacks
The last week before a vacation is always festive, but some people really get into the holiday spirit. Case in point, the mentor who brought a full-sized gingerbread house to build with her mentee. Or the pair that dedicated a meeting to making some of the most delicious looking cookies ever. Three other pairs made Christmas tree decorations. Have a happy holiday season!
Highlights:
Highlights:
December was a short but productive month! The biggest event this month was the Christmas spirit week before vacation. I handed out cups of hot cocoa to the matches and gave some to students visiting the office. Be the One merch arrived and was very popular, with many students and staff members asking to get some during the next ordering period. I began visiting health classes to recruit new students for the program. I visited one class and got 10 students who were interested in the program. I will have to space out visits to classes or else my waiting list is going to explode. I am going to need new mentors as my current mentor pool might be too small for me to fill all the needs of interested students.
Upcoming:
The Christmas vacation!
Number of Current Matches: 23
Submitted by Sammuel Van Kirk – vankirks@lynden.wednet.edu