Good Morning YESS Staff!

This will be Lincoln’s first blog this school year! We have been working hard through the month of September with finalizing the Mentee list and recruiting this year’s Mentors! Mr. Medina has started the process of doing home visits, to give assurance to families, that they can put trust in him to watch over their son/daughter in school.  I have been lucky to go on home visits with him. The knowledge he has is unexplainable. Each household we enter is always different, but the magic and energy he brings when we step in is inspiring. Mr. Medina has already started blue slips as well, so the students are learning how to be accountable when they step in the building.

We have had Mentor Meetings for the past 3 weeks, with the short amount of mentees we have. We are fortunate that our mentors are stepping up and recruiting more for our program. We have also linked up with the future center as well with NHS to draw more kids into the program. We are amazed to have last year’s Mentees asking us if they can return to the program this year. They were a tough group but it is great we were able to connect with them.

Mr. Medina and I have decided that from here on out all blogs will be done by students. We believe it is their program so they should tell you wants going on through their eyes.

We have attached a story written by a past Mentee who has now transitioned into a Mentor. This story was sent to us by a teacher in the building who was inspired by the impact off YESS Mentoring inside of the Lincoln building.

Have a Great weekend!

 

As I was walking down the stairs, I saw Mr. Medina’s exasperated face.  I instantly knew something was wrong. “Hey Jaz get over here!”  His tone didn’t seem too good. “Noelia is failing again and I need you to pick her back up.” As soon as Mr. Medina told me she was failing her classes again, I was furious.  Thoughts were running through my head.  I was wondering where I failed as a mentor.  My job was to help her with grades, pass all her classes, but she was nowhere near that.  I spent all my Tuesdays and Thursdays after school at 2:30 in the Yess Mentoring Program to tutor kids who need help with work.

When Noelia was walking down the stairs, I had already felt her vibe and it wasn’t too good.  It seemed that she already knew what was going on and her attitude made everything much worse.  She threw her backpack on the table and sat down.  I placed my backpack down on the table and looked her right in the eyes and asked, “why?” She shrugged her shoulders and didn’t say anything.  I had this shameless feeling that I couldn’t explain.  I had failed this girl as a leader, a mentor, and as a friend.

When I was a freshman and sophomore, I was exactly like Noelia.  People viewed me as a Christian girl who ditched all her classes.  A girl that would act differently just to fit in.  People viewed Noelia as a“bad student.” She was a girl who didn’t want to go to class, who yelled at teachers, who had the worst attitude, and was the girl who nobody could control.  I had committed and dedicated myself to change this girl.

Now, Noelia is on-track to graduate.  She is now considered a junior who goes to all of her classes.  Ever since sophomore year, she has not been kicked out of any classes and loves to read.  Noelia has decided that she wants to go to college to study Psychology.  In the past three years that I have known Noelia I could really say I made a big impact on her life.  When I met her, she wanted nothing to do with me.  She didn’t care about her grades and refused to do her work.  I have learned to be patient not just with her but with myself.  I have learned that everyone progresses at his or her own time and that is okay.  I have also learned to have a connection with her.  She is not only my mentee, but she’s also a person I can count on for anything.  She has learned to be dependable and she has also learned to be patient and give everything its time.  Now that I will soon graduate, I would like for Noelia to follow in my footsteps to become a leader and help others who struggled like her.  The Yess Mentoring Program has taught me the values of leadership, commitment and friendship, not only with the mentees, but with the mentors and teachers.  Throughout my high school experience, I can say that it was not easy.  I would like to go to college and go into the medical field to become an OBGYN or a registered nurse.  I love to help people and be part of their journey.  Now that I am a senior and have seen Noelia experience the same struggles as I,  I can say until this day, she is not afraid to be different and ask for help.  I have a story to tell and I know Noelia does too.