Winning Futures – Inspiring and preparing youth to succeed through mentoring.

Archive for the ‘Mentor Stories’ Category

Honor your mentor…post his/her name or a story!

Did you have a mentor in your life?

Why did you decide to become a mentor?

Share your mentoring story!

With the 2011-2012 school year off to a great start at Winning Futures, we welcome new mentors to our program!

Veteran mentors – do you have any mentoring advice that you have found works well for you?  If so, please share!

Sometimes our greatest struggles in mentoring can turn into our greatest success stories.

Do you have a story you would like to share?
Why did you sign up to mentor?
What did you gain from mentoring?
Why should someone else mentor?
What was the biggest benefit to your mentee?

Let us know your thoughts on one or all of these questions!

My Winning Futures mentor is the definition of support system.  She was always motivating and inspiring not just our mentoring group, but everyone around her.  She has showed us that any future we desire is obtainable through hard work, education, and persistence.  She made me believe in myself.

-2011 Warren Mott High School Graduate

In the Winning Futures classroom, it is proven time and time again how much one hour a week can impact a student.

Do you have a mentoring story you would like to share?

Why did you sign up to mentor?

What did you gain from mentoring?

Why should someone else mentor?

What was the biggest benefit to your mentee?

Let us know your thoughts on one or all of these questions!

As much as I gave to my mentees through mentoring, I received even more.  When you know you have people who look up to you, you hold yourself to a higher standard.  It has always been my belief that a person should lead by example, and the more I encouraged my students to take responsibility for their work, strengthen their relationships with family and friends, and give back to the community, the more I found myself improving those areas in my life as well.  The more I listened to them and their concerns, the better listener I became to everyone else around me.  As I watched them pursuing their goals with more passion each week, the more passionately I pursued my own.

I cannot fully express just how rewarding the experience has been for me.  As a mentor, not only was I able to have a positive influence on three young men and become a role model in their lives, but also (quite unexpectedly) they had a positive influence on my life and became role models for me as well.

Richard Sulaka II - Winning Futures Mentor, Former Winning Futures Student at Cousino High School

“My time with Winning Futures has been very rewarding, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to mentor with this organization.  The structure of the program and the guidance from the staff to support its mentors, made me feel confident that I was truly helping my students improve their lives. This year has truly been a life-changing experience for me, which is why I selected Winning Futures to be supported by the National Cares Mentoring Movement for resources to mentor more students.”

Kimle Mitchell – Winning Futures Mentor

Winning Futures encourages its students and mentors to write letters and emails to each other. This helps with bonding and open communication. We teach students about professional communication and the importance of thank you letters and words of appreciation. This communication with an adult can help students prepare for the professional world of work.

Below is an email sent to Regina Goodman, a Winning Futures mentor:

When one of my shyer mentees asked if she could help decorate my positive affirmations mirror I was overjoyed. All the other girls had left and then she scooted up next to me and we praised the beautiful job she’d done. Working together on something creative made her open up. She said she’d not signed up for the mentoring program but that one of her teachers must have placed her in it. “You know, I’ve never had a mentor before,” she said “but I’m really happy you’re my mentor!” I told her that I was so happy to be there for her and be her mentor; I was so proud of her for telling me just how she felt.

When we stood up to leave she smiled and gave me a huge hug! I was excited that she, a child who had before been a bit shy and seemingly apathetic, had opened up and shown me her sunny personality and the positive attitude she had towards growing as a Winning Futures mentee.

Renee Pascouau, Colen Publishing -Winning Futures Mentor