Mentor of the Month: Gabriela Suggs
Month/Year: July 2022
Match Date: 4/24/2019
Mentee First Name: Eanna Moore
School/Grade: South Valley Academy Graduated Senior
Pictured: Eanna Moore (left) and Gabriela
What motivated you to become a mentor?
I wanted to become a mentor as a means to give back to my community. I grew up in circumstances similar to those faced by some mentees and I felt that having a mentor figure throughout high school could play an important role in supporting young people as they carve out their futures.
What makes being a mentor special?
The most special aspect of being a mentor are the mentees by far. The hopes and dreams that they have for their future is inspiring. The work that you put in towards creating a positive relationship with your mentee is equally rewarding.
Describe something that you have learned from being a mentor.
I learned that unconditional support can have a lasting impact. When you show up consistently, week after week, year after year, it holds tremendous weight. Support is something we can all give as it doesn’t cost us anything, but it can mean the world to those receiving it.
What would you tell another mentor about your experience?
You come into this experience hoping to give back or make an impact on your mentee, but at the end of the day it’s the mentees who really leave an impression on you. They bring a richness to your life that can’t be replicated.
What advice would you give to mentors who have trouble connecting with their mentees?
This is a tough one. I think that every mentor/mentee relationship is unique in and of itself. What has helped me is really focusing on meeting my mentee where they’re at. Am I an avid video-gamer? No, but it’s my responsibility to find that piece of common ground for us to connect on. That could look like many things, but at the end of the day it’s really about remembering the excitement I had for my passions when I was their same age and drawing upon that. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to try! Try to connect, keep trying, and you’ll make that connection!
Mentor of the Month: Kaeley Skirch
Month/Year: June 2022
Match Date: June 2021
Mentee First Name: Gabrielle
School/Grade: Amy Biehl High School 10
What motivated you to become a mentor?
I didn't have a lot of support growing up and ultimately I almost failed high school. I did enroll in college, but I changed majors 5 times and I was very lost. It wasn't until I was 20 years old and in my junior year of college that I finally met my first mentor and my life fell into place very quickly after meeting her. Just being able to have her as a resource for questions and as a role model for motivation was enough to get me over the finish line. I graduated with a double major in accounting and finance with honors and had multiple job offers before graduation and much more immediately after. She inspired me to be a mentor. The change she made in my life is invaluable. I want to be that for someone else too. I want to help someone like that too.
What makes being a mentor special?
It provides the opportunity to be the person you wish you had growing up. You get to help a young person navigate the beginning of their lives while building a unique friendship with them. I think that's special.
Describe something that you have learned from being a mentor.
I have learned a lot about K-pop (short for Korean popular music) because my mentee is really into that.
What would you tell another mentor about your experience?
I commit a lot of time to volunteer work and this one is my favorite by miles. It doesn't feel like work but it feels like it makes the most impact. It isn't a huge time commitment and it's fun. I would recommend it to anyone who can.
What advice would you give to mentors who have trouble connecting with their mentees?
Perspective is everything. Remember what it was like when you were in high school? It's not easy to grow up especially in the world that these mentees are growing up in now. They have entire experiences and perspectives that never existed when we were in high school. I can't relate to everything that my mentee is going through or has gone through, but I can relate to what it is like to grow up. I know the frustrations of my best friend breaking up with me in high school. I know the anxieties of everyone asking me what I am going to do after high school. I know the excitement of learning how to drive and the disappointment of failing a test. The trends, the technology, and the world are very different now than when I went to high school but some things never change and those are the things that my mentee and I connect on the most.
Mentor of the Month: Rachel Wolfgang
Month/Year: May 2022
Match Date: Oct. 22, 2020
Mentee First Name: Maria (Inez)
School/Grade: South Valley Academy / 11th Grade
What motivated you to become a mentor?
I like to volunteer in my free time and had some mentoring experience from college that I wanted to continue.
What makes being a mentor special?
Mentoring is actually a mutually beneficial scenario for you and your mentee; not only are you guiding someone based on your experiences, but your mentee can show you a perspective that you never considered before
Describe something that you have learned from being a mentor.
I learned to check any assumptions/judgments at the door and that active listening is the best way to give someone your time.
What would you tell another mentor about your experience?
I would tell them that when you are open and honest with your mentee, the more open and honest they will feel with you. Also, I have a rockstar of a mentee - she makes being a mentor super easy!
What advice would you give to mentors who have trouble connecting with their mentees?
Be a good active listener and have a genuine interest in your mentee’s life and activities and your match will grow as a result.
Mentor of the Month: Carla Busick
Month/Year: April 2022
Match Date: 10/07/2021
Mentee First Name: Ayla
School/Grade: Amy Biehl High School/11th Grade
What motivated you to become a mentor?
Mentors in my life have made a big difference in my opportunities, self-confidence, and success and I get great satisfaction when I can, in turn, do little things that might encourage others or help them better navigate life, school, and other challenges.
What makes being a mentor special?
I also learn much from my mentee and enjoy her conversation and perspectives. If I can serve as an impartial sounding board, it’s an easy thing and enjoyable for me. If I can help others half as much as my mentors have helped me, I’ll be very satisfied. And I have a pretty special mentee which helps too!
Describe something that you have learned from being a mentor.
My mentee is unique in that even as a young person, she already appreciates spending time with her grandparents and is open to learning from them and others. She is already applying her writing skills and is passionate about her career aspirations and how her writing might influence others in the world, which I find inspiring and remarkable.
What would you tell another mentor about your experience?
Being a mentor is a fun adventure that expands your own world and compassion and understanding of others. I think we’re all better human beings when we climb out of our narrow universe for a while.
What advice would you give to mentors who have trouble connecting with their mentees?
Just like staying current for any conversation, keep up with sports, movies and the news, etc. to navigate topics that might click for your mentee. When they respond to one of these, you know you’ve learned a little something about their interests. Encourage them to elaborate when that happens. Maybe you both like the outdoors, adventure, or animals. Be ready to ask a lot of questions and pause when you find something that strikes resonance.
BBBS Mentor 2.0 program has many dynamics with students from 9-12 grade. As a mentor, what dynamics have you seen for each of these years – successes, challenges, lessons learned that you can share with other mentors?
While I was a mentor in the regular BBBS program for years, I’ve only been paired in Mentor 2.0 for about 6 months, so I have this singular personal experience with a Junior who is especially precocious and makes the process easy. I get the sense that others have mentees who are less mature and less communicative, but I would think the more students participate in the ABHS college-prep/ career programs and Mentor 2.0 program these students would mature. Some newer mentors might be less prepared for the younger mentees – although they should know they have more time to make bonds and develop their relationship, too. It can’t hurt to send frequent messages to provide openings for them and let them know someone cares.
What skills are required for a mentor 2.0 mentor? Examples could include listeners, cheerleaders, directors, advisors, and others.
Listening and advising as asked, but also stimulating discussion and cheerleading.
Mentor of the Month: Mark Reynolds
Month/Year: March 2022
Match Date: 6 years – 2 years at South Valley Academy, 4 years at Amy Biehl High School
Mentee First Name: Cole
School/Grade: Amy Biehl High School/Senior
What motivated you to become a Mentor?
I have been lucky in life with work, family, and friends. With that luck comes a responsibility to share your luck and pay it forward. This was the true driver to become a mentor 2.0 participant. My own grandchildren. I also am learning from their lives as they go through life and how mentoring someone at South Valley or Amy Biehl has taught me valuable lessons I would have not been able to capture otherwise.
What makes being a mentor special?
Being a mentor has different meanings to our mentees. Some say it is a good opportunity, some see it as a burden (having to be mentored in high school) so breaking that perception is one of the first things that I had to address. Over time my mentee saw some, or most value in our partnership as a “team”, not an “I have to do this because the school makes me.” I have seen my mentee grow from ninth grade to a senior with his own ambitions and desires to make a mark on his life, studies, and career. That’s what makes this special.
Describe something that you have learned from being a mentor.
Learning through another person's eyes about life, academics, and a passion for something they really enjoy. Mentoring year after year and seeing little to no change to then blossom and seeing them reaching out, asking questions, needing support – that makes the journey worthwhile.
What would you tell other mentor about your experience?
My experience is like many other mentors with their mentees, and what makes a person want to be a mentor. It starts with a passion to want to aspire, help and support another person without expectations other than “being there” for that mentee, even when there is no instant return on your time, it eventually “just” happens.” We are a group of advisors, trainers, mentors, listeners with many years of experience that we want to have available for that “one moment” it just all pays off and you “smile”
What advice would you give to mentors who have trouble connecting with their mentees?
This advice is a journey and what you do with your knowledge and knowing there are mountains to climb, not hills, keeping this in perspective you will be successful. Stay true to your passion, in spite of the uphill challenges