A student is illustrated reaching for a goal being held up by their mentors. Mentors have always served their community aid youth and provided advice for them when they struggle. “Mentorship is a helpful resource for high school students, especially since it offers leadership skills, maturity, and support,” Viewpoints Editor Peter Atchley wrote. “By setting a good example and providing aid, mentors help students as they develop in their high school career.” Illustration by Sam Harwell
CCHS students must take advanatge of the benefits of having a mentor to give advice and share experience.
High school is a troubling time for a lot of people, due to assignments hitting like a wave, a lack of direction and rocky relationships in school and social life.
A possible solution to this issue: mentorship.
Cambridge Dictionary defines a mentor as “a person who gives a younger or less experienced person help and advice over a period of time, especially at work or school.”
Mentorship is a helpful resource for high school students, especially since it offers leadership skills, maturity and support. By setting a good example and providing aid, mentors help students as they develop in their high school career.
As Clarke Central High School students reach post-high school life, guidance in the college application process or career selection from a mentor can be helpful.
A graphic illustrates the different steps that a student can take to find a mentor. Students in Clarke Central have been able to find mentor figures because of the work done by the Clarke County Mentor Program. “All one has to do to find a mentor is see Nibbelink, apply for a mentor and then build a strong mentor-to mentee relationship,” Viewpoints Editor Peter Atchley writes. “High school shouldn’t have to be a challenge students face alone.”
“Whether it was a coach, someone in their neighborhood, someone in their church (or) a teacher, there are those additional adults outside of their family that provided that support,” Executive Director of the Clarke County Mentor Program (CCMP) Allison Rosch said. “Mentoring can provide that social and emotional support in friendships and relationships.”
Another benefit of mentorship is the effect it has on students later in life. According to K-12 Dive, a provider of news and analytics on education, mentored students are 130% more likely than others to hold leadership positions when they grow up.
When a mentor provides guidance about their mentee’s goals, they receive a more personalized level of feedback. It is very important that someone like a mentor can give a one-on-one lens and offer insight into every facet of a CCHS student’s life.
“I can think of students here who have the same mentor they had since elementary school. That is a deep relationship because they know the family like they have been in that person’s life for a long time and that’s a very cool thing when those students graduated,” CCHS 10-12 grade counselor and CCMP school liaison Heidi Nibbelink said.
Having a mentor is great, but another great option is to become a mentor for young people who could offer experience in one’s area of expertise.
“The best way to learn something is by being a teacher, so (mentorship) is super helpful in developing skills, but it’s also a great way to develop leadership skills which are useful in many aspects of life,” Clarke County School District School Psychologist Dr. Marcia Page said.
All one has to do to find a mentor is see Nibbelink, apply for a mentor and then build a strong mentor-to-mentee relationship. High school shouldn’t have to be a challenge students face alone. Engaging in a mentorship program, either as a mentor or a mentee, provides lasting benefits that CCHS students must take advantage of.
