April--Mentor of the Month 2021
Regina Lorenz has been matched with her mentee since the beginning of the school year, 2020-2021. They meet once a week, usually for about 30 minutes on Thursdays; during her mentee’s lunch time. (She finds that a mentoring schedule is easier when you have a consistent day and time each week to meet.) Mentees learn responsibility by making sure they make it to the meetings.
The match talks about what they did during the past week, what their weekend plans are, or how school is going. They always play some type of game. Many times, they try to pick something new from the shelves in the TeamMates room. However, if there is something they really enjoy playing, they'll play it more than once. Regina learned that her mentee can be very competitive! Her mentee is a fifth grader at Osmond Community School.
Regina has discovered what her mentee’s passions are by talking about what she’s been doing during the week. Her mentee is involved in extracurricular activities and she is helpful to her family at home.
According to Regina, one thing that stands out about today’s youth is that, “kids these days are still very much like we were as kids; with the same problems, challenges, likes and dislikes. Although many things, such as technology, have changed, they are still the same at heart.”
When asked to become a mentor, Regina was apprehensive about becoming a mentor. She wondered if she would be up for the challenge, but she has found that it is very easy to just spend time, talk, or play a game with her mentee. She says that her mentee makes it very easy. Regina states that her mentee is a very sweet girl, and she believes that she gets as much out of their time together as her mentee does. Being a TeamMates mentor is very rewarding, and Regina encourages more individuals to sign up. There is always a need for more mentors, and it does not take that much time. “For what you and your mentee get out of it, it is very much worth it!” The reward for that time spent is that you get to know a unique individual who has tremendous potential. You get to watch that person grow physically, intellectually and emotionally.
Community members interested in helping with the Teammates program can do so by mentoring, serving on the board of directors or donating to the scholarship fund. Please go to the link to apply to be a mentor today: https://teammates.org/become-a-mentor/.