Last year as I began the Orr Fellowship, I really wanted to find ways to stay involved in the community. Throughout high school and college, I had always kept myself busy and was a member of various student and volunteer organizations. Now, as I began an entry-level job in Indiana, I found myself in a new city and without the structure of school-organized activities. I wasn't sure where to begin.
Shortly after I started work I realized that the Orr Fellowship would not only provide me with a great networking opportunity in Indianapolis and an instant group of friends, it also helped me ease the transition to the "real world" by making it easy to stay involved.
I heard about the Orr Fellowship's involvement with Common Goal, an organization that strives to help kids stay in school and graduate. Mentoring seemed like the perfect way to stay active in the community.
Allison Bowen and I were given a group of high school freshman that we met with every other week throughout the school year. Some days we covered specific topics, other times we talked about what was going on in their lives and sometimes we just played Catch Phrase and other games. We learned was that what we did during our sessions wasn't as important as the fact that we were THERE each time.
Even if we weren't able to see immediate results from our efforts, we knew that we had an impact. We became something stable and consistent in their lives, and we could tell that they were happy to see us (and the donuts) each time.
Today starts my second year of being a mentor at New Tech High. As I walk into New Tech this morning, I can truly say that I am excited to see the eight familiar faces looking back at me.
Eight students who are now beginning their sophomore year and are one step closer to graduating high school.
Shortly after I started work I realized that the Orr Fellowship would not only provide me with a great networking opportunity in Indianapolis and an instant group of friends, it also helped me ease the transition to the "real world" by making it easy to stay involved.
I heard about the Orr Fellowship's involvement with Common Goal, an organization that strives to help kids stay in school and graduate. Mentoring seemed like the perfect way to stay active in the community.
Allison Bowen and I were given a group of high school freshman that we met with every other week throughout the school year. Some days we covered specific topics, other times we talked about what was going on in their lives and sometimes we just played Catch Phrase and other games. We learned was that what we did during our sessions wasn't as important as the fact that we were THERE each time.
Even if we weren't able to see immediate results from our efforts, we knew that we had an impact. We became something stable and consistent in their lives, and we could tell that they were happy to see us (and the donuts) each time.
Today starts my second year of being a mentor at New Tech High. As I walk into New Tech this morning, I can truly say that I am excited to see the eight familiar faces looking back at me.
Eight students who are now beginning their sophomore year and are one step closer to graduating high school.
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