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Katy & Kristine

"When I was first placed with my mentee she was very quiet. She didn’t seem like she wanted to talk to anybody and according to some of her teachers, she rarely spoke in class. She reminded me of myself when I was younger. Ever since we have been meeting, my mentee has slowly come out of her shell. When I meet with her, she can’t stop talking and telling me about her week. She answers questions in class on a regular basis and is now trying to help other very shy kids meet some new people and have fun.

When I was in middle school, my father lost his job and we ended up losing our house and our car. We were in a hard spot, but Portland Impact came to our rescue. They helped my mom go to college so that she could go out and get a job. When my dad injured his back, they helped us get medical insurance so he could have surgery. My family is healthy and happy because of Portland Impact’s help, so when Portland Impact came to the leadership class in my school and talked about mentoring, I couldn’t let the opportunity slip by me. I became a mentor to help other kids like me. 

I would tell other high school kids that mentoring is the greatest thing that you can do in high school. It’s worth every minute, especially when you see that smiling face waiting for you when you show up. Sure, it can be hard at times, but don’t let it discourage you. The people there are great, and if for some reason you can’t make it to a meeting, they will work with you to reschedule or make some special trip to make it up to your mentee. I know that people get stressed with homework and jobs and things like that, but one hour a week won’t hurt you. It might even help you in the long run and you form a lifelong bond.

-Katy, Mentor, Franklin High School