Mentor Coordinator Report
Stories & Quotes To Share:
Growing up with Be the One:
This month, I compared the initial mentoring experiences of two pairs from middle school to their current experiences as highschoolers.
Alyssa & Kathleen
After the first session with her 8th grade mentee, a mentor shared her excitement, noting that the pair didn’t even need the questions or activities provided by the mentor coordinator. Following the second session, the mentor reported that both felt comfortable enough to be playful and silly together. Alyssa ran back to Kathleen after one of the early sessions, exclaiming, “Today was a lot of fun, and my teacher wants to know your name!” That first year of mentoring, Kathleen often brought games from home for her and Alyssa to play. One game brought up painful memories for Alyssa, but she shared, “It was nice remaking positive memories with the game” while spending time with her mentor. Kathleen noted that Alyssa sometimes brings up topics like anxiety or other challenges but will often get uncomfortable or awkward, quickly shifting the conversation back to their game.
Now that Alyssa is in 10th grade at NVHS she shares so much with her mentor. She trusts her mentor enough to talk to her plainly about grades, her friends and she also shares what is going on at home. A lot of what she shares is difficult. Alyssa finds it comforting to have a connection with someone who cares enough to listen and continue to show up for her even when she shares the hard stuff. Recently, I added a 300-piece puzzle to the mentoring space for the high school matches. Kathleen reflected that “The puzzle was GREAT. Alyssa focused on putting the horse together, which was perfect given her love of animals. I helped by pulling out the horse pieces and laying them beside her. I think she felt a real sense of accomplishment finishing the horse. And it was wonderful to just be quiet and work together. I couldn’t help but notice the symbolism—me feeding her the pieces and her putting it all together.”
This pair, who has been meeting for two years now, continues to build an ever deepening connection, finding meaning and connection even in the quiet, shared moments of mentoring.
Katie & Carol
Katie and Carol were paired as mentor and mentee when Katie was in 8th grade at Nooksack Valley Middle School.
Now that Katie is in 11th grade, Carol reflects, “We’ve become friends. This is not just a program” Katie quickly adds, “Good friends.”
When asked about her favorite part of Be the One, Katie says, “Talking about life—like Carol’s new grandchild. He’s so cute!” For Carol, her favorite part is simple: “Katie.”
Carol shares, “How else do you get to impact a teenager’s life every week? Plus, Katie is as much a mentor to me as I am to her.”
Katie appreciates their open and honest conversations. “I just get to talk and let things out. A lot of teens don’t have anyone they can have deep conversations with. Having a mentor is a great way to connect with someone.”
Carol recalls asking her sons as they grew up, “Do you have someone to talk to? If you need to talk to someone other than Dad and me, do you have someone you trust?” She adds, “This program gives teens exactly that, a trusted person they can talk to.”
She marvels at how well their pairing has worked, saying, “I don’t know how the Mentor Coordinator matches us up, but… it’s perfect.” They enjoy their weekly meetings so much that Carol sometimes stays longer to have lunch with Katie. Katie explains, “We click really well and have had a bond ever since we met. We’ll definitely stay in touch after high school.” She adds, “Carol has taught me a lot and supports me so much. She even comes to my wrestling matches.”
Over the past three years, they’ve created many fun memories together, strengthening a friendship that will last far beyond the program.
Highlights:
• 24 hours of mentoring in January (Winter Break and Finals Week made this a short mentoring month)
• New Mentor Orientation at Ferndale High School on 1/13
• Community Leader, Chuck Handy presented BTO in Woodshop class to encourage more male students to join the program
• Mentoring in Whatcom County meeting hosted by Chuckanut Health with representatives from Be the One, Skookum Kids, The Resilient Project and Whatcom County juvenile justice system on 1/28
Upcoming:
• Chuck & Leeann Handy and Missy attend basketball game on Monday Feb 3rd to
promote BTO
• February New Mentor Orientation at LMS on February 7th @ LMS
Number of Current Matches: 15
Submitted by Missy Rus – melissa.rus@nv.k12.wa.us