By Kaila Snyder, Contributing Writer
The Johnson Center for Civic Engagement has partnered with the Regional Engagement Center (REC) in downtown Selinsgrove in an effort to provide local youth with positive mentor/mentee relationships and engage in community involvement.
“The program was established as a way to give back to the Selinsgrove community and to allow the community at Susquehanna University to further connect with the Selinsgrove community,” sophomore Jose Martinez Rivera said.
The mentoring program lasts for 10 weeks and pairs a student from Susquehanna with a youth from the Selinsgrove area who shares similar interests.
During the 10 week period, the mentors and their mentees meet for approximately an hour and a half once a week at the REC. During these meetings, mentors can help the mentees with homework, offer advice or simply serve as a friend.
According to Martinez Rivera, “The goal of the mentoring program is for the mentors to bring out the best [in] the mentees, as well as checking on the mentees to know how things are going for them, and to develop and improve self-esteem.”
First-year Natalie Hillman shared how her relationship with her mentee last semester impacted her personally.
“Not only did I learn how to be a better role model, but my mentee encouraged me to gain a different perspective as we engaged in activities together,” she said. “My mentee was already an optimistic individual who always looked on the positive side of the spectrum, allowing my negative beliefs to dissipate.”
Along with a personal benefit, Hillman recognized that being a mentor might also have a lasting positive impact on Selinsgrove.
“Being a role model for my mentee could even create a ripple effect in the REC center if more individuals mimic my mentee’s behavior that he learned from me. This has the potential to make the REC center an even safer environment for kids and something that could extend into all facets of their life.”
Sophomore Precious Emmanuel first began volunteering for the REC as a first-year and was drawn to the mentoring program by her curiosity to know the children and their interests a little better.
“One major takeaway I have from being a mentor is knowing that everyone has a story. It is important to never underestimate a person for any reason, especially not age,” Emmanuel said.
The program started two years ago during the first year of the AmeriCorps grant between the REC and Susquehanna, according to AmeriCorps volunteer Javier Videla.
“There was a lack of big brother/big sister/mentoring programs in Selinsgrove before we started in 2017. The 2015 Pennsylvania Youth Survey outlined the need for a program of this nature, and that is what sparked the creation of the Mentoring Program,” Videla said.
“We are hoping to recruit 20 Susquehanna University students. We are looking for students who enjoy working with children and adolescents, as well as students with an interest in education, psychology, and social work,” Videla continued.
Although she is a business administration major, Hillman believes that she has found academic value in the program as well. “While working with kids does not particularly pertain to my major, business is a profession that requires you to be personable and have leadership abilities. Both of these qualities I was able to develop more thoroughly through mentoring,” Hillman said.
Applications can be found on MySU and the deadline has been extended to Feb. 7.
