Mentoring’s Impact on Mental Health: Koriauna’s Story
May 5, 2023
Youth Voice, Physical Fitness and Mental Health, Mentoring Stories
Koriauna Criswell is a senior at Bear Lake High School. She shares her experience working with a mentor as part of a school-based mentoring program.
Content note: This piece contains mentions of suicide.
When I entered Mrs. Cook’s science class my freshman year, I knew there was something special in regards to who she was as a person rather than just a teacher. Immediately I felt a connection; however, at that moment, I did not know how far this connection would take me.
My sophomore year, I was transferred to Mrs. Cook’s mentor class after I had lost my friend to suicide just months before. It was during quarantine at the end of my freshmen year. This is the worst experience that I have ever had to go through. It left me in a never-ending spiral of depression, anxiety, and fear in general knowing that I was not good enough to save my best friend or be a reason for her to stay. Through all of this, the only person that I wanted to talk to or trusted enough to talk to was Mrs. Cook. Because of this, I requested to be moved into her classroom, a move which she supported.
From this point on, our connection only grew stronger. She has become one of my best friends and one of the most trusted people in my life. I can honestly say that she saved my life. If it wasn’t for Mrs. Cook, I would not be here, let alone be the person that I am today. She has taught me so many things; more than just your average teacher. Yes, she has taught me many fields of science and how to study, but most importantly she has taught me that life is worth living, it is the little things that matter, everyone deserves to feel love, happiness is something everyone deserves to feel, and many more life lessons that I will use for the rest of my life. Our relationship is extremely strong and built off of love, trust, and true friendship.
The best part of having a mentor is knowing that I will always have someone to back me up and trust no matter what happens. There have been many challenges that Mrs. Cook and I have faced with each other. To begin with, I was in a very dark hole. Because of our hard work and her kind words, I have come out of this hole to be truly resilient and live a life where I am always striving to be better but have also found true happiness. With this, we have also had challenges where she has told me things that I did not want to hear. At that moment, I was not very happy with her, but have come to realize that in these situations, sometimes what you don’t want to hear is what you need to hear the most.
The advice that I would give a young person who is new to working with a mentor or nervous about doing so is to be willing to be open and be willing to trust them. This is something that I have truly struggled with in the past. Being open and trusting someone can be one of the hardest things in the world; however, after doing this they can truly help you. When you give them all of the pieces of information, they can help you put the puzzle together or just be there to listen which is very powerful.
Mentoring has been a lifesaving experience for me. Through mentoring, I have learned so many things. I guarantee that I might not have been here without it, let alone be the person that I am today.
Mentors can help young people navigate personal, professional & academic challenges by engaging in honest conversations, modeling vulnerability, and directing them to helpful resources. Explore MENTOR’s resources to learn how you can intentionally center mental health and emotional well-being when building relationships with young people.