Is There A Mentor Within You?
Martinez
The beginning of the year is a time when people make resolutions and think about things they want to improve in their lives. In January, we celebrated National Mentoring Month and worked to raise awareness about mentoring and its impact in our communities. We highlighted the importance of mentoring young people while also spotlighting the need for more caring adults to step up and become mentors.
This year's National Mentoring Month theme was “Mentoring Works.” Research shows that the presence of a caring adult in the life of a young person helps prepare them for school, set them on a career track and develop important life skills. All these things also help to prevent many of the challenges young people can experience, such as violence, substance abuse and bullying.
What people might not realize is that mentoring actually impacts two lives. The impact for the young person is well known, but the difference it makes for the mentor is a benefit unknown to most. The experience of spending time with young people, listening to them and building friendships with them makes a huge impact on an adult and enables them to both learn and be a part of new things while sharing their skills and life experiences.
As CEO of Mass Mentoring Partnership and with more than 15 years of management experience in nonprofits, I know the impact mentors and caring adults have made in my life. While I grew up in a single-parent household with a mom who often worked two or three jobs just to support our family, mentoring was vital to my future. As part of the first generation in my family to go to college and achieve things others in my family never had the opportunity to experience, I remember those who helped give me confidence and guide me down the right path. It was those caring adults who helped prepare me to go to college and think about the skills and lessons I had to learn to get a job and plan my future. Their support and guidance enabled me to figure out what my interests were, what my goals could be and what I could become.
My story proves that mentoring works. Professionally, there's so much we can do to help bring more caring adults into the lives of young people and give them that same chance for a brighter future. As you reflect on things you want to improve in your life and changes you want to make, think about getting involved as a mentor and spending quality time with a young person. Not only can it impact and improve our communities, it can make a big difference in your own life. Let's resolve to invest our time, energy and resources to close the mentoring gap and ensure every young person who needs a caring adult in their life has one.
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Marty Martinez is president and CEO of the Mass Mentoring Partnership.
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