Newmarket Junior-Senior High School

Newmarket Junior-Senior High School 213 South Main Street Newmarket, New Hampshire 03857-1898 603-659-3271

Deborah A. Brooks Principal Scott Thompson Assistant Principal Thomas Pavlidis Director of Guidance Natalie Harmon Guidance Counselor

June 18,2005

Dear Mr. Montville,

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to work with the Wildcat Youth Mentors during

this past school year. I am impressed by the professionalism of your organization and the sincere commitment to serving our youth.

In my position as guidance counselor in a public school, it is quite refreshing to interact with such a positive and responsive group of people. I appreciate your ability to recruit and organize your volunteers in such a manner as to ensure not only their enthusiasm for mentoring but also their ability to follow through. Thank you for being so involved with the entire process, from introducing me to your new mentors, to checking in on a weekly basis, and finally, to meeting with me at the end of the year to process and discuss your vision for further improving the program. Both you and all your mentors did an excellent job of communicating via email, phone, and in person.

What an amazing group of mentors you selected to work with our students. They were so conscientious about their commitment to our students. For example, many of your mentors would bring in materials or items to share with their particular student as a way to build trust and add fun to their time. In addition, often these same mentors would change their scheduled time with students to accommodate for school holidays or cancellations so as to not interrupt their weekly visits. As I got to know these busy college students throughout the year, I became even more impressed with their flexibility as many of them held full-time jobs or participated in multiple extra-curricular activities in addition to their classes and mentoring responsibilities.

It was very tender for me to watch the building and closure process happen between my students and their mentors. I often wished the mentors were able to witness how one visit could change a student's entire demeanor, leaving them with a smile and some exciting tale to share with parents or classmates. My students loved to introduce their mentor to their teachers or parents and appeared very proud to have a special visitor in the school-just for him or her. I also loved that many mentors chose to commemorate their shared time by bringing a small gift or memento on their last visit.

I absolutely believe that these mentors are giving more than just their time or attention; they are giving these students a chance to see themselves as valuable and unique. What a tremendous gift! I would be extremely grateful if you would consider. Newmarket Junior Senior High School as a host site for the 2005-2006 school year so we can continue to develop our partnership with your organization. Thanks in advance for your continued support of our students.

Sincerely,
Natalie A. Harmon
Junior High Guidance Counselor

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