June Mentor of the Month

Amy Gillespie
We received a referral for a young 6th grade girl in the fall of 2009 when a teacher recognized the impact a difficult family situation was having on this girl's social and academic performance. Just a few months later, this girl was paired with her new mentor, Amy. Amy, a young mother and preschool teacher studying psychology at UCSB Graduate School, looked forward to giving a mentee the emotional and academic support she needed. The match meeting was full of shy smiles and anticipation for the great experiences they knew would come in their time together. They created three goals together: to read together, practice her basketball shots, and learn new skills, like cooking.

That was just over one year ago and in their time together they have accomplished their goals...and so much more. In the beginning they spent time getting to know each other, playing games, and working on relatively simple tasks like making sure to turn in homework on time. As her mentee started trying harder in school, Amy took her to get a library card so they could work on her reading together. Amy also encouraged her to sign up for basketball with the Police Activities League and she loved it.

When her mentee struggled with the rigors of Junior High, Amy searched to find her free tutoring and made sure her mentee knew that she was always there for her no matter what. Under the care of such a dedicated mentor this young girl has truly blossomed; now she is socializing with greater confidence and focusing on academics like never before. Amy has made such a positive impact on her mentee in just one year and we know there are greater things to come. Thank you for your dedication to bettering the life of your mentee, Amy. Congratulations on being named our June Mentor of the Month!