Mentor Young Minds

by Abigail Knowles Wolfe (BPRW)

A mentor can be defined as many things: a teacher; a respected counselor; a wise and trusted guide through life’s rockier moments; a confident; a lifelong friend. The art of mentoring is can be lost art amidst the hustle and bustle of today’s modern, competitive world. Individuals who have struggled years to establish their lives and careers might think, “I did it all by myself; alone. Why should I spend my time giving away my secrets to success?”

There is a great need in our nation right this minute for strong mentors. From those of us who have experienced some exceptional mentoring in our lives to others who would’ve appreciated a mentoring relationship in the past there is a great deal of work to be done to ensure a solid future for young people everywhere. January is National Mentoring Month (NMM), the 7th annual American campaign seeking to recruit volunteer mentors to help young people realize their potential. National Mentoring Month is led by the Harvard Mentoring Project of the Harvard School of Public Health, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Most of us are aware of programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the Boys and Girls Club and wish we had more time to dedicate to these fine organizations yet many of us have opportunities to mentor others in our everyday lives by taking the time be present and supportive. To help young support young people in realizing their dreams. Mentors offer encouragement and support and point you in the right direction. As we remember our childhood mentors this January, perhaps we will be inspired to take a more active role in the mentoring of others.