Oct. 24, 2024
BY JOHN BAILEY
Tracey Paul, Mentoring Program Coordinator for the Council on Adolescents (COA), recently attended the Carolina’s Youth Mentoring Symposium in Durham, and the Catawba County United Way (CCUW) thought this would be a good time to talk to her about the experience there and about the current needs for mentors locally.
Every year education is one of the CCUW’s Impact Areas of interest, focused on helping children and youth achieve their potential, and the United Way’s partnership with the COA helps meet this need.
(CCUW) What was the most impactful thing you learned at the symposium?
(Tracey) Anyone can be a mentor, if you’re willing to make the time and take the time to share life lessons and be there through the ups and downs of life, guiding someone in the right direction. We all want to be loved and respected, seen and heard. Relationship resilience helps you learn from your mistakes, move on, and make better decisions next time. It’s a privilege to be a mentor and simply listen to someone else.
(CCUW) Is there anything from the symposium you plan on utilizing in Catawba County?
(Tracey) I’d like to incorporate The TLC Integrated Approach to Mentoring. Truth (intrapersonal awareness), Love (emotional regulation) and Community (interpersonal skills) to create a comprehensive approach to youth mentoring and mental health. This holistic framework aligns with the World Health Organization’s definition of mental health as a state of well-being, focusing on building strengths rather than just addressing deficits. TLC helps people live life with and on purpose.
The COA’s Lunch Buddy Mentoring Program utilizes adult role models to develop a positive relationship with youth, helping them increase academic achievement and attendance, develop positive personal and social skills, reduce school behavior problems and office referrals, and improve communication between youth and their parent/guardians, according to the COA’s recent United Way application.
(CCUW) What are your current needs for mentors in Catawba County?
(Tracey) The number of students selected for the program always exceeds the number of mentors that volunteer. The goal is 80, and we’re almost there, but the more mentors we have, the more students we can serve (since we haven’t run out of students yet).
(CCUW) Has the need changed since COVID?
(Tracey) Yes, students need a mentor now more than ever because of the lingering pandemic ramifications. Their grades, mental health and motivation have suffered.
(CCUW) Is there a greater interest from schools/parents since COVID?
(Tracey) Yes, COVID was very isolating for many students. Schools and parents continue to reach out for help. A mentor encourages healthy attitudes and behaviors and helps a student find hope within themselves.
(CCUW) What is the biggest benefit you've seen personally from the program?
(Tracey) Students succeed when they have someone who believes in them, is there for them and simply shows ups for them, having an additional positive role model makes a big difference in the life of a lunch buddy student.
Interested in becoming a mentor?
Contact Tracey at tpaul@coacatawba.org or call 828-322-4591.