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Honor Someone who Mentored You!
January 2007

January was National Mentoring Month, and Thursday, January 25, 2007 was the fourth annual Thank Your Mentor Day.

When you were a child or young adult, was there someone in your life — a teacher, neighbor, relative, coach, friend, or boss — who encouraged you, showed you the ropes, and helped you become who you are today?  That person was a mentor to you.

If you have often thought about someone who encouraged you, gave you confidence, or just pointed you in the right direction, but regret never having said "thank you," here's your chance to remember them by writing about how they made a difference in your life.  What lessons—or words—of lasting value did they impart to you?  Are there particular events or moments in your life that you recall in connection with your mentor?  Tell us about them!  Your stories, and the lessons they contain, will be of value to others!

Join many others in honoring an important mentor in your life.

Link here to submit a mentoring story of your own, or read the inspiring mentoring stories submitted by others.

www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/wmy2007/Thank_Them/intro.html

Mentoring Changes the World, Two Lives at a Time
Many people think they don't have the time, or the skills, to be a mentor.  Read what Daniel G. Mulhern, husband of Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm, has to say on the subject of mentoring!

Mentoring Pays a Double Dividend
DANIEL G. MULHERN
Detroit Free Press, 1/30/06

Mentoring changes the world two lives at a time.  Research is clear that mentoring helps young people establish goals, improve school performance, stay out of trouble and, perhaps just as important, simply feel important.

What is less talked about, however, is the extraordinary contribution this experience makes in the life of a mentor.  A survey by AOL-Time Warner found that 99% of those in formal mentoring programs say they would recommend it to others.

People think they can't mentor for two reasons: They don't have the time or they don't have what it takes.  "I know there are lots of kids who could use a mentor, and I believe it makes a difference, but I just can't," you say.  I know the feeling.

Six years ago my wife, then Michigan Attorney General Jennifer M. Granholm, came home one day with more enthusiasm than normal because she was going to start a mentoring program for kids who had experienced a light brush with the law.  She was putting into action what makes overwhelming common sense: The best way to end crime is to prevent it from happening in the first place.  When she decided to put her money where her mouth was and become a mentor, my reaction was the same as many people's: How can we do this when our plate is already full with work and family obligations?

Six years later, my wife is still mentoring and still finding that both her life and her mentee's life are continually enriched.  I've found the same to be true -- since the 1980s, in between becoming a lawyer, getting married, having three children, running a business and writing a book, I've also managed to mentor.  Not only does it deeply enrich my life, it is clear that our children's lives have been deeply touched as well.

Mentoring also makes a positive impact on any community.  According to the National Mentoring Partnership, mentored children are 46% less likely to use drugs, 59% more likely to get better grades, and 73% more likely to raise their personal goals.  Instead of becoming juvenile crime statistics, mentored children grow into responsible, compassionate, and healthy adults who contribute as valuable employees and community members.

Some of the best times we've had with our mentees have been as simple as catching a movie, tossing the ball around, or grabbing lunch on the run.  Time does not have to be an obstacle, nor do you need special skills.  If you make generous plans, life will give you what you need.

I like to think that I've taught my mentee some valuable lessons; I know that he's offered me many and that my life is fuller for having him in it.  I encourage you to get involved in mentoring.

To learn more about our Mentor Training program here in Morris County, click here.