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Social event honors Wildcat Youth Mentors

LifeWise Community Press Releases: Sunday, January 29, 2006
Author: Foster's Daily Democrat

DURHAM — A social event to honor 50 Wildcat Youth Mentors and their "heroism" was held Saturday, Jan. 21, at Stokes Hall on the University of New Hampshire campus.

The program included opening remarks about the "Drop-Out Prevention" program. The goal of Wildcat Youth Mentors is to provide area teens a path of self-esteem, leading to high school graduation.

The UNH volunteers spend one hour a week with teens in a positive school-based mentoring relationship. Mentors act in many different roles, providing the youth with support, advice, counseling, referrals, motivation, guidance, coaching, friendship, reinforcement and provide constructive examples. In the one-on-one relationship with the students, the WYM help teens set and pursue goals, which are effective in building self-confidence.

According to the National Mentoring Parnership, mentored teens are less likely to get into drugs, they earn better grades and are more likely to set higher goals.

The Wildcat Mentors had the opportunity to meet and talk with the guidance professionals representing the seven host sites of the WYM, which include Barrington Middle School, Dover Children's Home, Epping High School, Newmarket Junior High, Oyster River High and Seymour Osman Community Center. Oyster River Middle School was just added this month. Kathy Mutch, After School Program director at Barrington Middle School, discussed her program and the WYM.

Recognition gift awards were presented to two special WYM achievers. Torie Meehan and Kate Palmer have both contributed three consecutive years of service. They are both doing double duty as mentors and site coordinators at host locations for WYM. They were awarded jackets for their service. Meehan is a UNH senior, majoring in life sciences. She is assigned as a mentor to Newmarket Junior High. Palmer is a UNH senior, majoring in electrical engineering. She is a mentor at the Seymour Osman Community Center in Dover.

The mentors in attendance had chance to share snippits about their mentoring experiences — the challanges, progress and also some moments of humor. In the discussions it became obvious that the WYM Drop-Out Prevention efforts for young teens is working.

The WYM program has grown to 51 mentors and seven schools; up from 17 members and only one school three years ago.

Kathleen Walsh, the new volunteer administrator from the Lifewise Community Projects was introduced.

In addition, the mentors learned about national disaster training opportunities offered by the Great Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross. A Red Cross Club is just starting up on campus. There was also a resource table with information about the Peace Corps, UNH Almni Association, the Water Guardians and other groups.

At the conclusion of the event, the Wildcat Youth Mentors shared a renewed spirit of commitment for the remainder of this new semester.

For further information about WYM, contact KC Walsh at 207-409-9049 or kcwalsh@unh.edu.

LifeWise Community Projects, Inc. sponsors the Wildcat Youth Mentor program. For information about LiveWise, contact Bruce A. Montville EE, president, at 929-0832 or bmontville@lifewise-nh.org.

Bruce A. Montville EE
President & CEO