AmeriCorps VISTA Spotlight
March 11, 2021
If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my time at MENTOR, it’s that mentoring doesn’t look any one certain way – while it’s always centered around relationship building, the form those relationships take can vary a lot. Sometimes you might not even realize that you’re being mentored until years later.
When I joined my high school’s cross country team, I did so out of obligation (my school required that everyone participate in a sport) and I was not happy about it. I’d never been super athletic and I had a special adversity to team sports. Nevertheless, two weeks before school started, I laced up my sneakers, tightened my hair tie, and dragged my feet to the first day of practice.
And then a funny thing happened. Days became weeks, weeks became months, months turned into years, and I grew to love it. I loved the feeling of crossing finish lines, of long runs in the fall, of losing my breath during a particularly challenging workout. I loved growing stronger and faster, of challenging my mind and body. But above all I loved the team.
Crossing finish lines is way less fun if your teammates aren’t there cheering you on and handing you bottles of water. Long runs and speed workouts don’t fly by if you’re not surrounded by people to vent to, joke with, or race against. Growth feels a lot less rewarding if you can’t celebrate with other people.
Peer mentoring may not be the most traditional form of mentoring, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less valuable. It’s still an opportunity to build relationships, to lift communities, and to grow as you inspire. From my teammates I learned about commitment and hard work. They were always there to listen and offer advice, not only about racing, but also about school and life. My senior year, when I became a co-captain, I gained leadership skills and confidence. I felt what it was like to become a role model, and I knew I wanted to do it right.
During those four years, I didn’t realize that there was a word for what was happening. But I know now that it was mentoring. And I feel so fortunate to have had that experience during such a critical age. Every young person deserves to have mentors in their life, people outside of the home who will show up and be there in whatever way is needed. I’m very grateful to be spending my AmeriCorps VISTA service year at MENTOR, helping to close the mentoring gap and engaging in a community that believes in the power of relationships.
See how you can become a mentor at https://www.mentoring.org/become-a-mentor/
Learn more about AmeriCorps VISTA at https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/americorps-programs/americorps-vista