IMG 2675“Our Youth Is Where Everything Begins”

Men and women from western Clark County’s business community officially kicked off a high school mentorship program last week by meeting the students with whom they’ll be meeting each week until the end of the school year.

Ten local businesspeople are currently registered to mentor Tecumseh High School students as part of the Community Connectors program coordinated through Family and Youth Initiatives.

FYI’s Executive Director Pat Banaszak discovered on August 14 that they had been selected for the grant. She said that over 200 entities in the state applied for the grant, and that 192 were chosen.

Because so many organizations were selected to receive the grant, its allocations were altered to include them all, yielding FYI a $77,000 one-year grant. Banaszak said the governor plans to ask for another $20 million in next year’s budget to put toward Community Connectors grants.

Weekly meetings between mentor and mentee will follow topics discussed in YouTube videos of Josh Shipp, a teen behavior expert and motivational speaker, often referred to as “The Teen Whisperer.” Banaszak said if the teen has a more pressing matter to discuss one week, that mentors will have no problem postponing the scheduled topic for an immediate need.

Banaszak said research shows that teens benefit most from one-on-one mentoring, noting that teenagers often do not feel comfortable talking to their parents about delicate issues, instead preferring to consult with another trusted adult.

Nancy Masters, manager of Enon’s WesBanco, is currently the only person from Enon’s business community to act as a mentor, one of ten local business figures including Scott Griffith, Paula Crew, and David Trimmer, who have volunteered.

Banaszak encouraged local businesspeople from all of Clark County to become a mentor in the Community Connectors program, saying that mentors and mentees with similar interests are paired.

The program’s kickoff was held last Thursday at Tecumseh High School, allowing the students to meet their mentors for the first time. They engaged in a game of bingo with prizes, which Banaszak said really helped to break the ice.

Nancy Masters said she met her mentee at Thursday’s kickoff, a sophomore girl, and hopes that their relationship will develop as the weeks go by.

“After talking with her mother, it seems that our personalities are very alike,” said Masters. “We did talk a little bit…hopefully she’ll get to feel comfortable with me as we start to meet more.”

Masters said although she has sat on FYI’s board for three years, but she has never participated in a mentorship program before.

“I did this because our youth is where everything begins. I hope to be able to help them in any way I can,” said Masters.

To become a mentor, applicants must pass a background check and make the commitment to meet with their student once per week for the entire school year. To register, or for more information, call FYI at 937-845-0403.

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