 |
|
|
|
|
 
|
August's Mentor of the Month
1. How did you become involved in mentoring through the Hillsborough Education Foundation?
The first time I heard about HEF was at work (Citibank N.A in Tampa) while researching different ways to volunteer locally. I attended the information session HEF employees provided at my work location and immediately knew I had to be part of this great foundation.
2. What has been the most rewarding part of mentoring?
Although in the past I have volunteered and supported several organizations, being a mentor is a completely different world. Being a mentor brings daily rewards, both to the student and to the mentor. I feel that I am making a difference and helping the younger generation to believe in themselves and focus on accomplishing that one thing they want or wish the most, even if it seems like a small goal at the moment. Learning about my student's journey and plans to reach those goals is music to my ears. It encourages me to be a better mentor and friend for my mentee. Seeing Katiusca excelling in school and other endeavors truly makes me proud and excited as a mentor. On the mentee's side, I think they make a new friend and an ally. They find more support and are able to learn and tap into other resources that otherwise will be a bit more difficult to obtain. Mentees may think of us as role models, positive reinforcement or simply someone they can trust and discuss day to day concerns and difficulties. If we as mentors are able to assist, guide and nurture these student's lives in order for them to reach their full potential and believe in themselves, then I consider that as being rewarding already.
3. What do you believe is the key to being a quality mentor?
I do not think there is only "one" key to being a quality mentor, but rather several keys. It is important to create a good communication and trust that with time is built between the student and the mentor. This sets the tone for that mentoring journey and the quality that comes out of each mentoring session as well as the results obtained. It is crucial to learn about the student's needs, pin point important areas in which to help your mentee with and keeping the agree mentoring time/day.
Honestly, if you are already willing to help and support local education, you are already at a great start to being a mentor. I encourage everyone to give it a try, GET INVOLVED and find your "key" to being a quality mentor.
4.When you are not working with students, how do you prefer to spend your free time?
I like to stay busy. Some of my free time is spent in my garden, reading and watching sports. Being outdoors is something I enjoy, often just driving around sightseeing and taking pictures of the different landmarks I come across. I love spending time with my family and visiting my two nephews.
5. What do you hope your mentee will learn from you?
I would like to think that most of the mentees are able to learn something from us mentors.
In my case, I am very proud of where I come from, of my family's strong will and resilience to reach the American Dream. Part of who I am today and the decisions I make to better myself and help others are encouraged and influenced by my upbringing and the mentors I have had in the past. I hope that my mentee sees this from me in our meetings and can find her own drive to continue succeeding. I hope I am encouraging her to always go forward and think outside the box while maintaining her humanity and down to earth side. In mentoring Katiusca, I am optimistic that she too one day may become a mentor to other students to support them on their journey.
|
|
Welcome to the new school year! We hope you're as excited as we are for meeting with our respective mentoring partners.
For our new readers:
Ordinarily, our Millennial Minute section is reserved for latest developments in the (remarkably) vast field of mentoring research. From breaching any perceived generational divides to highlights on how to approach topical current events with our youth, we try to breakdown mentoring methods that provide tangible results.
Having said that, we'd like to take the time this month to for us to refocus on our mission, our purpose, and, more specifically, the difference you as the mentor can make in a scholar's life.
Why Mentor?
If you ever needed a healthy reminder as to the impact you make on a young scholar's life, according to MENTOR, The National Mentoring Partnership, students with mentors are:
- 55% more likely to enroll in college
- 78% more likely to volunteer regularly
- 130% more likely to hold leadership positions
- 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school
- 81% more likely to participate regularly either in sports or extracurricular activities (students, as we know, tend to prioritize their academics when they are more plugged into their respective school's culture)
Mentoring assures youth that someone outside their respective family cares about them. It guarantees that they are not alone in facing daily challenges, and helps them feel an extra sense of worth. Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations.
What you do on a voluntary basis helps connect a young person to personal growth, development, and social and economic opportunity. Through the consistent support of our young scholars, mentoring promotes purpose both within and without, especially inside the Take Stock in Children program model.
|
|
Recent Events
Career Day at Citi
On Friday, the 4th of August, TSIC scholars made a visit to Citi for our annual career day. It was one filled with a variety of workshops and activities aimed at preparing the students for the workforce, including presenting oneself in proper business attire and covering several interpersonal skills. Many speakers presented their personal paths to success, including the value of internships and the repeating the notion that there is no such thing as enough education. The day concluded with a tour of the Citi campus, and getting first-hand accounts of the many careers that are required to maintain such a large facility, ranging from finance to law, and the many unexpected fields in between.
Interactive Art at the Tampa Museum of Art
On Saturday, the 5th of August, the Hillsborough Education Foundation held an Interactive Art Experience at the Tampa Museum of Art. The day was spent with mentor-mentee pairs alternating between getting a tour of the museum, providing their interpretations of various pieces or collections, and finally creating their own 2-D art in a workshop. Thank you for all that participated!
|
|
Upcoming Events
Teaching Tools Luncheon
Attend our annual Teaching Tools Luncheon, presented by Suncoast Credit Union, to raise funds for the Hillsborough Education Foundation's Teaching Tools Program, which gets free school supplies into the hands of Hillsborough County Public School students in need.
|
Mark Your Calendar!
| Mentoring Kickoff |
August 28 |
HEF |
| Labor Day Holiday |
September 4 |
HCPS |
Teaching Tools Luncheon
|
September 19
|
HEF
|
| End of 1st Grading Period |
October 13 |
HCPS |
|
William Dailey Julia Carter
Teddy Marcelo Anna Laird
|
If you know someone who is interested in mentoring,
have them visit our website for more information:
|
www.educationfoundation.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
