February--Mentor of the Month 2021
TeamMates Mentor of the Month—February 2021
Kerri Conn met her TeamMates mentee three years ago and has been an active mentor in the organization since that time. At that time, her mentee was in the fourth grade.
Kerri and her mentee usually meet on Wednesday mornings before school. At that time, they will generally play games that are provided in the TeamMates Room. They have also worked on craft projects together.
The two of them also enjoy talking about many things while spending their time together. As they are talking about different things when meeting, Kerri has learned about her mentee’s passions; such as playing sports, and being with friends and family. This match also talks about the different things that are going on in the mentee’s classes and school activities.
Kerri says. “By being a mentor, I can be with a student in a different aspect other than as a teacher. Hopefully, this enables me to connect with my mentee in a different way. It also allows me to see things going on in school in a different perspective other than my own.”
Having meetings with her mentee allows Kerri to see how students are affected and molded by what they are responsible for at home. She can tell by the behavior and actions of her mentee, that she has things to do at home and is very respectful of others.
“Being a mentor is very rewarding as it allows you to help a student to grow. It also enables a person the opportunity to offer encouragement to a student in a way different from family, friends, or teachers. This is a great way to meet today’s youth in a very relaxed and informal situation. I know we have many youth in our school who would greatly benefit from being matched with a mentor,” Kerri stated. She encourages individuals to become a mentor in the TeamMates program.