I Am A Mentor – Dominique

We are celebrating National Mentoring Month by sharing why we chose to become mentors! Here’s what Teacher/Mentor Dominique had to say:

I had a mentor who helped me navigate through high school. He went above and beyond to support me, taking me to games and getting me involved in basketball. He showed me that I could use sports to pay for my education and I attended Western Oregon University with an athletic scholarship. 

My mentor helped me see that the world is bigger than the neighborhood I grew up in. I’ve had the opportunity to travel and I want other kids to know that there’s so much out there to see. 

Another reason I do this work is that one of my relatives was killed when he was a teenager and I want to make sure that other kids don’t get into a similar situation.

You don’t clock out when you are mentor. We have to be there when kids need us. The relationships that we form are strong, almost like family. I feel like my students are an extension of me, I succeed when they do.  When you mentor, your life changes because you learn so much from the students.

It means a lot when my students push themselves to do things that are beneficial because they respect my advice. Through mentoring, I hope to show my students that there are limitless opportunities in the world.