Posted by Theresa Tanner on 1/26/2024 5:00:00 AM
A weekly meeting impacts both mentors and students
The time on Felisa Bravo’s calendar is blocked out on Mondays at lunchtime. No work meetings, no appointments are scheduled during that time.
She has a standing engagement at Grant Elementary School: A one-on-one mentoring session with first grade student Amberly Turner. Every week during the school year, Felisa and Amberly eat lunch and enjoy an activity together.
“We’ve been working together for about a year. She shows me different card games to play, and we collaborate on making pizza, cupcakes,” Felisa said, after tidying up the day’s Play-Doh creations and walking Amberly back to class.
Felisa is one of 65 EPIC Mentors who meet with students in our district to serve as a positive, impactful adult in their lives.
Patrick Donahue, Community Partnerships Manager for the Office of Family & Community Engagement, asked Felisa if she was interested in becoming a mentor last year. She had volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters when she was in college, and was willing to help SPS students in any way.
“Whatever you need, let me know,” she said she told Pat.
She had initially indicated a preference to work with an older, middle school-age student, but when she learned there was a need for a kindergarten mentor, she jumped in. “Amberly and I hit it off right away.”
“I just like working with kids. Everything they see and experience is new, and they delight in that joy. It’s wonderful watching them experience something for the first time,” Felisa said.
And the connections that Felisa has made go beyond Amberly. Other Grant students know and recognize her as Amberly’s mentor, and they’re just as excited to see her and other mentors. “They give us fist bumps, they tell me ‘You’re so beautiful, you look like Mother Gothel from ‘Tangled’!” Felisa laughed.
But most important to Felisa is that Amberly looks forward to their weekly meetings. “She says, ‘I knew you were going to be here because it’s Monday!’” That consistency is important for Felisa to maintain. “We talk about planning for next time, because Amberly knows she can rely on me to be there.”
Felisa works full-time and has two school-age children of her own, but carving out less than an hour a week to spend time with an imaginative kid like Amberly is a priority for her that brings joy to both of their lives.
“Pick up the phone or send an email. There are so many ways to contribute,” Felisa said, encouraging other potential mentors to get involved. “Even if it’s not for you, you may know someone who would be a great fit. It doesn’t hurt to ask.”
We have students who are waiting to be matched with a mentor. Please visit EPIC Mentors to apply; an SPS Volunteer application is also required.
Families can also Request an EPIC Mentor for their student.
