Rockwall Rotary Mentoring: 30 minutes to impact

January is National Mentoring Month

(ROCKWALL-January 15, 2013) At school, seven-year-old “Shelby” is agitated and has trouble focusing. She shivered on the floor of her unheated mobile home last night while her mom worked the late shift. “Victor” didn’t have clean clothes or well-fitting shoes to wear this morning, and he struggles to keep up with his classmates in reading. “Marissa” desperately seeks a smiling face to ask ‘how is your day?’ after losing her father to suicide.

The good news is, these children are among nearly 100 Rockwall ISD students who are being helped by the Rockwall Rotary Mentoring program, in a flourishing partnership between Rotarians, the RISD and community volunteers.

Founded in 1998 to serve students at Dobbs Elementary, the program now has more than 70 active mentors who spend at least 30 minutes weekly with a student “mentee” – serving as an advocate, advisor, role model and friend. The program goes beyond reading to assisting in all subjects, in all grades, district-wide.

As January 2013 marks the 12^th anniversary of National Mentoring Month, research shows that volunteer mentors play a powerful role in reducing drug abuse and youth violence, as well as boosting academic achievement. Mentors help build young people’s character and confidence, and navigate a path to success. But those involved in the Rotary Mentoring program don’t need research studies to substantiate these findings; they are experiencing the impact first-hand.

“There’s a side to this that nobody really sees until you’re walking it, until you make a relationship with a child and they love you. It’s phenomenal,” said Barbara Jackson, who took the reins as Mentoring Chair last summer, when Barbara Allan stepped down to accept the Rotary’s Community Service chair. “We don’t let these children down. In some situations, we may be the only consistent thing in their lives.”

Jackson’s vision for the Mentoring program in 2013 includes increasing community involvement, matching more kids with mentors who are bi-lingual or share similar backgrounds or ethnicity.

“We want to provide every child with a positive role model, to equip them to lead healthy and productive lives, to show them that we care and that they can succeed,”Jackson said. “I know God is blessing the situation – first of all, because it’s covered in prayer – and because people tell me it’s the best thing they’ve every done as a volunteer. In just 30 minutes a week, you affect a system, you affect a child – and it affects you.”

In just 30 minutes a week, you affect a system, you affect a child – and it affects you. ~ Barbara Jackson

Jackson added that although many of the current mentors are Rotarians, their example is opening doors for all community members to get involved. “I pray one day Rockwall will have more mentors than there are needs. You don’t have to be a Rotarian, or a business owner, or even have any volunteer experience – you just need to show up and care.”

The feedback received from RISD campus counselors reaffirms the impact the program is having.

“At Rochell, students look forward to their mentors’ visits. They often ask their counselor when they will see their mentors again. Jones Elementary has five mentors, including a Spanish-speaking mentor that they are so grateful for. The Dobbs counselor sees great differences in the students who are mentored…real stability for students who have little support at home. She has seen them grow emotionally and academically. At Hays Elementary, they have a mentor that has been partnered with the same student for the past two years,” wrote Kassie Maxwell, RISD administrative assistant, in a message of appreciation to the Rotarians.

“Mentors make a difference on the secondary level as well. Utley and Cain both have mentors to help with any subject…One ninth grade student at Rockwall High School has benefited from the same mentor since fifth grade!” Maxwell wrote. “The most important job of Rockwall ISD is to enable its students to succeed in life. The Rotary Mentoring program helps us do just that.”

For information on becoming a mentor, contact Mentoring Chair Barbara Jackson at barbjackson1025@yahoo.com or visit rockwallrotary.org.

By Dawn Redig, Blue Ribbon News.

  Barbara Jackson, Dobbs Elementary, literacy program, Rockwall, Rockwall ISD, Rotary Mentoring, volunteer