March Mentor of the Month

Angela Huffman

Angela and her mentee have enjoyed an amazing year together. The mentee was referred to our program because she needed a positive adult role model who could help her with her self-esteem and academics. Her mentee was moving to a new house and a new school and was a bit worried about the transition. Angela was there to ease her mentee’s concerns by showing up consistently and allowing her to express herself. She became the big sister her mentee always wanted and could confide in.

Angela focused on exposing her mentee to new experiences, and cleverly used her mentee’s love of marine life and art to encourage interest and excitement about a large variety of activities and opportunities. They visited museums, went hiking, spent time whale and dolphin watching, created paintings and drawings together, role played complicated social situations, and worked on homework. Angela even helped her mentee practice public speaking by making presentations to each other on different marine animals, which showed her mentee how academics can be fun and practice can overcome the most difficult challenges. This has tremendously helped Angela’s mentee improve her confidence. Before Angela, her mentee had no interest in attending a college, but now she has been inspired to go to college and earn a degree in Marine Biology!

Even though Angela works and goes to school, she is very dedicated to the program. She attends most, if not all, of Mentor Program events in order to meet new mentors and help her mentee make new friends. Angela also attends the monthly mentor trainings to learn more ways to help out her mentee on various topics. She comes up with creative ways to help her mentee grow as a person, and is always looking for ways to improve. Thank you Angela for being so devoted and doing such an amazing job of encouraging your mentee! Congratulations! You are our Mentor of the Month for March!!!