May "Mentor of the Month"

This month’s outstanding mentor is Loren Solin!

Loren mentors a 7th grader at Goleta Valley Junior High. The pair has been together for almost five years. They enjoy doing lots of fun activities together such as bike riding, hiking, and hanging out. Loren’s mentee stated that Loren is able to help him with his problems and that he “always makes me smile.” :-) Great job, Loren! Keep up the good work!

April "Mentor of the Month"

This Month’s Outstanding Mentor is Rob Smith!
Rob mentors a fourth grader at Cleveland Elementary School. Rob and his mentee have been together for over a year and a half. In addition to working on homework, the two have done a variety of fun activities together. They have done everything from playing at the park to walking Rob’s dog to going to the batting cages. There is never a dull moment with these two! Throughout the past year and a half, Rob and his mentee have developed a very solid friendship. Great job, Rob! Thank you for your dedication.

UCSB Tour & Casa Dolores Field Trip

Here are some pictures from our recent activities. Enjoy!

Alameda Park Photo Shoot

We have the pictures from our park photo shoot! And many thanks to our photographers Nick Burwell and Stephen Lewis!! Here are some of our favorites! There are many more (well over 200 were taken), but of course, we don't have room to put them all up. Enjoy them!! And thank you again to all of you who took the time to come participate...we had so much fun! We hope you did too!!

Some of our wonderful mentors: Denise, Lisa, Cora, Carol, and Katya.

Three fabulous mentees.

Jill and her mentee.

Cora and her mentee.

Denise and her mentee.

Loren and his mentee.

Ron and his mentee.

Nancy and her mentee.

Andrea and her mentee.

Katya and her mentee.

Sally and her mentee.

Rob's mentee and puppy.

Kyle and his mentee.

Carol and her mentee.

Arno and his mentee.

Jai and his mentee.

Some of our kids having fun :-)

Such a great day!

March "Mentors of the Month"

This Month's Outstanding Mentors are Andrea Helfer and Katya Armistead!

This month we are acknowledging two incredible mentors: Katya Armistead and Andrea Helfer. Katya and Andrea mentor sisters at Cesar Chavez Charter School. These women, as individual mentors, are amazing, and together, they make an inspiring team! Katya and Andrea have been with their mentees for almost 2 ½ years. They have been a constant source of encouragement and support through challenging family times, academic struggles, as well as friend problems.

Katya has enabled her mentee to grow into a healthier individual who will now be able to tackle next year’s challenge of Junior High with confidence. Andrea works with her mentee every week to improve her reading and math skills and to show her that she can aspire to do amazing things in her life.

Both Katya and Andrea care about the sisters, and when one is unable to meet with their mentee, the other is sure to check in with both girls. They have remained patient as they continue to work with the girls and their challenging home situation. It averages about one hour before they can get the girls out of the house and to a program event, but neither Katya nor Andrea has given up. They want to continue to expand the horizons of both girls and have tailored their outings to best suit their interests. Through their dedication and ongoing support, Katya and Andrea have shown these sisters that they have people who believe in them, and no matter the obstacles they face, they can overcome and come out stronger. Great Job, Katya and Andrea! Keep up the good work!

February "Mentor of the Month"

This Month's Outstanding Mentor is Carol Jimenez!
Carol mentors a seventh grader at La Cumbre Junior High. Carol has been with her mentee for over a year and has seen her through the challenging transition from elementary to middle school. As in any mentoring relationship, there have been periods of testing, but Carol has stuck with her mentee and has seen her mentee grow and mature through the process. Great job, Carol! Keep up the good work!

"My Mentor and Me" Drawing Contest Winners

First Place: Erick Flores, 5th grade, McKinley Elementary

Second Place: Ana Santamaria, 4th grade, Monroe Elementary

Third Place: Michael Lopez, 8th grade, La Colina Junior High

Honorable Mention: Benji Perez, 8th grade, Santa Barbara Junior High