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Teton Mentor Project Stories

Steve and Chase

Who would think that the Wednesday afternoon Farmer’s Market could be so fun?  This summer Chase and Steve found that out, among many other things.
Chase needed a stable adult male presence in his life – his Mom worked a lot and he spent a lot of time alone with Sonic the Hedgehog.  Steve needed to feel like he was making a difference, and needed a teen to hang out with. Voila! The two met and started hanging out together. 
It took some time for them to feel comfortable together and build trust. They started by meeting at Chase’s house and trying to play console games together. Unfortunately, Steve failed so badly at that, so they had to find other things to do. They started going to art galleries, concerts and other events around town. Sometimes they just hung out and talked. Chase is a huge fan of older video games, has an encyclopedic knowledge of gaming history, launch dates, boss encounters, etc. and he loves to share his knowledge.
When summer hit they took walks, hung out around town, ate good things and generally enjoyed being together. The final Wednesday Farmer’s Market was particularly fun: they watched the Iron Chef Competition and talked to several of the competitors they knew, hung out with friends and ate lots of good local food. 
These days they still hang out and talk and watch Chase play console games. They also go to concerts, galleries, work on homework together and work on Chase’s YouTube channel. Chase offers lots of ideas for programs at the library where Steve works, and has helped launch a gaming program around Star Wars Battlefront II.  Both agree that things are better now that they have a friend to confide in and talk to. They both agree that the Teton Mentor Project rocks!

Paulina and Andrea

How can you beat being greeted every week with an ear-to-ear smile and hug…come on…how would such simple gestures not make your day Andrea has a special gift of making the people around her laugh and smile. Her positive and eager to do anything energy is refreshing.

One of my goals with Andrea has been to introduce her to the variety of opportunities around the area. From simply enjoying an ice cream cone in Town Square, to riding the Tram up to 10,450’, whatever we decide to do it’s always a fun time. Andrea loves animals, BIG and small. She enjoys volunteering at the Animal Adoption Center and we often walk dogs, feed the cats, and groom the cats. Thanks to TMP, Andrea was able to participate in the Power Ponies program last summer. This was an amazing experience for her as it taught her so many great empowering life skills. Through the program she learned the responsibility involved in caring for her horse, Beau, as well as how to listen, control, and communicate effectively with him. It was fun watching her ride and communicate with such an enormous animal. The program helped Andrea find her voice.

It’s been great to see Andrea transform over the past year. She’s recently been very excited to work on homework and read to me, which I think is great, because she used to shy away from the idea. It’s encouraging to hear the excitement in her voice as she rattles off ideas of things we can do the next time we hang out. She is very respectful, outgoing, and so full of life.

Cate and Esmeralda

I decided to become involved with Teton Mentor Project last Fall when I heard that one of my students was enrolled in the program and looking for a match. Volunteering was something I always had an interest in doing, but never seemed to have the time. Now that my own two boys have grown into busy teenagers I was ready to get involved in something worthwhile, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity.

Esmeralda enrolled in Teton County School District last October as a third grader after moving to the United States from Mexico with her mom, dad and her older brother Greg. Her English is limited, but coming along at an amazing rate. She and I are never at a loss for things to do together as we both enjoy crafts and cooking. This has also been a great way to help Esmeralda develop English vocabulary. Our conversations often revolve around the project we are working on and she seems to enjoy everything we do. This has been both a pleasurable and rewarding relationship for both of us, and I plan to continue my involvement with TMP.

— Cate, mentor since 2009

Ben and Garett

I have been working with Garett for over six months and the changes in us both are coming to a front. He has helped me realize that I love working with young kids and that elementary education may be in my future. I think I have helped him feel more comfortable and confident in himself. He is so much more open and outgoing, even in groups with new faces. We have had a blast together! One time he was working on a project for school on black bears so, living in Jackson, WY, we decided to go looking for them in the wild to add to the research he had done in the classroom. While we didn’t see any bears on that trip we did come across elk, bison, and many beautiful birds. Many of these animals were the topics of his classmates’ presentations and Garett enjoyed telling me how he was able to contribute and ask questions about these amazing creatures that live so close to us, but yet he had never before gotten the chance to see. That “safari” is something we still talk about and we hope to replicate, but next time we’ll be bringing his new camera with us!

— Ben, mentor since 2009

About James

This student- we’ll call him, James- is a 2nd grader. He has had his mentor since Kindergarten. All of his older brothers had mentors and he was so excited when he finally got one. They do a lot of activities in town- they’ve gone horseback riding (his mentor really utilizes community activities/events). One of his favorites was going to a Moose hockey game…he came to me first thing on Monday with a huge picture of him and his mentor right by the hockey rink- biggest smile I’ve ever seen. James wouldn’t stop talking about hockey for weeks!! Now James has things to actually talk about! Before when you asked him what he did on weekends- he’d say “nothing” or “watch TV, play video games, sit inside all day”. Now, he can talk about actually getting out in the community and having fun. he has actual stories to share now about his life.

- Megan Riley, Elementary School Counselor

A Note from JH Middle School Assistant Principal

As a former mentor coordinator for the Teton Mentor Project and current Assistant Principal at Jackson Hole Middle School, I have seen first-hand how mentors make positive and indelible impacts on the lives of kids in our community. Some of the simplest activities make an amazing difference when kids have the complete attention of an adult: walking dogs, making cookies, riding bikes, throwing a Frisbee or football, reading together, etc. I hear students brag about their mentors on a daily basis and tell stories of the things that they do together—students who ordinarily struggle to make friends or sometimes get “lost in the crowd.” I’ve seen self-confidence emerge in some of the shyest kids and passions develop for activities that they never would have had the opportunity to try without the guidance of their mentor. It is sometimes heartbreaking to hear how so many of the kids in our community go home to empty houses, care for younger siblings, don’t participate in after-school activities, or don’t realize how special of a place Jackson is to grow up. The one hour a week that mentors take out of their busy schedules often becomes the one hour that a child most looks forward to. I am very proud to have been a part of the Teton Mentor Project, and I look forward to many more of our students becoming matched with their volunteers.

Sincerely,
Scott Eastman

Scott Eastman, Assistant Principal

Can I get one of those mentor people too?

Several times, kids who don’t have mentors start hearing about someone in their class having one or getting one, and I’ve heard them say to me or one of their friends, “Hey I want one of those!” or “Miss Megan, can I get one of those mentor people too?” or “How do you get one?”

Kids of all backgrounds ask about it. It’s usually 2nd graders who are asking for a mentor- I’ve heard, “well, can I get one when I go to Colter next year?” Most kids are super excited and filled with curiousity about what a mentor is, what they do with you, etc. Sometimes, it’s like they’re asking so longingly, like ‘please can I hang out with someone too??!!” (if that makes sense). They want that need for connection, for a belonging…and they see the TMP as that opportunity.

- Megan Riley, Elementary School Counselor

A Mentee’s Thank You

My mentee and I have been having a great time getting to know one another, and I can feel her getting more comfortable and acting more like “herself” every time we hang out. Over Christmas, we went to see a show at the Center for the Arts and I gave her a small homemade gift. She was flustered and pleased and was unsure how to say “thank you.” But, she figured out an incredibly touching and creative way to make me know that she was grateful; as we were brushing the snow off of my car to head home, she took the brush and wrote in big letters on the front windshield, “thank you!” She dragged me around to the front of the car and pointed at it. I melted. She had taken an emotion that was hard to express and figured out a way. It has been incredible to witness her opening up and her mixture of sincerity and silliness is just wonderful. Thanks to TMP for all of the support and ideas and for making it all possible!- Rachel, mentor since April 2010

Journaling

I have been mentoring Ally for over three months now: it’s been a very positive experience for both of us and we are getting to know each other more and more. I find it enriching: Ally is smart, funny, eager to do many things, and we share the same passion for artistic work and creations of all sorts, which make our moments together quite fun and colorful.

Since the start, I have started a journal/sketchbook, which includes a page or two about each time we meet. I include photographs I take of her, write about what we did, sketch things in it, add secret notes to her, and more. She loves it and wants to see it each time we are at my house. I’ve wanted to include her in this project as in the end (whenever that is) this book will be hers. She recently lost a pet and created a page in that book with pens and markers. I would like this book to be a reminder about how special she is, specially in the future, when she needs something to help her through challenging times.

Her grandmother told me that she absolutely loves spending time with me. This is encouraging as I challenge myself to make our meetings the best experience for her, even if it is simply playing a board game at the Teton Literacy Center, or going for a dog walk. I give her my complete attention, and try to expose her to new situations to build her confidence. It is more than worth it and we are becoming fast friends.- Aude, mentor since November 2010