“Being a mentor has helped me to be a father, and being a father has helped me to be a better mentor,” he said. ” I think when it comes down to it, mentorship is like getting a glance at the future because my daughter is still younger than most mentees. I take home the valuable lessons I learn while mentoring, and give back the support and care to my mentees.”
Shane was initially signed up to volunteer for the Mentor Foundation USA by a previous employer, but soon discovered how fun and meaningful it is to mentor youth and give back to his community. He has now been a mentor for three years and has taken on two mentees in our program.
“This organization and being a mentor has helped guide me through my own life. It puts things into perspective. You realize that no matter where you come from or what your income level, everyone has their issues and problems. It comes down to how you are going to deal with those issues. Are you going to work through them, succumb to them, feel sorry for yourself or dream big? I’m here to help guide youth and encourage them to dream big.”
Shane still keeps in touch with his two mentees regularly. He recently learned that his first mentee has been accepted to college for the fall and could not be more proud.
“I love what I do, and I love to mentor. It’s been a two-way street really, I do my best to teach my mentees all that I can and help guide them, and they have taught me some invaluable lessons as well.”
Shane is a wonderful example of a strong mentor that appreciates how the valuable lessons learned from the students impact his personal life. As a father, or any parent, it is difficult to make the time to mentor a child in the community, but Shane shows us how that you get so much more than you give when you decide to mentor and help guide a young person’s life.
Mentor Foundation USA would like to thank Shane, our mentors and all of those who lead by example.
Happy Father’s Day.