School Zone
A Mentoring Moment: by Levander Lilly
Levander Lilly was introduced to his School Based Little Brother, Dorrell, in May of 2007. Levander stated “I found Dorrell to be a shy 10-year-old boy. He seldom made eye contact and only spoke when asked a direct question.” Levander met with his Little Brother at school every Tuesday for the remainder of the school year. They discussed various subjects such as sports and music. Levander met with Dorrell’s teacher and guidance counselor frequently in order to obtain suggestions about what he should work on with Dorrell. Levander used this knowledge to his advantage and by the end of the school year, Dorrell was opening up and talking more. Dorrell shared with his Big Brother that he plays drums in the school band and at his church.
Levander was becoming more involved with classroom activities. Dorrell’s teacher asked Levander to join the PTA and the principal asked him to join the School Advisory Council. Levander gladly accepted. Levander stated “Dorrell was aware of all these activities that I was involved with at his school and that ultimately helped to strengthen my relationship with Dorrell. It showed him that I cared. In the meanwhile, Dorrell became a different young boy. He improved significantly. His conduct was much better and he showed more interest in school.”
By the end of the school term, Dorrell found out that he did not pass the FCAT. He would have to attend summer school in order to be promoted to the next grade level. Dorrell worked hard, and with encouragement and support from Levander via telephone, Dorrell was promoted to the next grade level.
Levander and Dorrell continued their match into the 2007-2008 school year. Levander stated “This school year Dorrell has continued to show good improvement in all aspects of school life. He is more outgoing and is highly respected by his teachers, guidance counselor, classmates and others. We still must monitor Dorrell to make sure he does all of his homework. I am optimistic that with the proper support and guidance from his mother, school, Big Brothers Big Sisters and other positive forces in his life, Dorrell will grow and mature into a well-rounded and productive young man.”
Someone once said, “A child can never have too many mentors, too many counselors or too many people investing in his or her life.” What a wonderful world this would be if more people would take the time to give of themselves and to invest in the lives of others, following an example like Levander Lilly.
To become a mentor, contact the Community Involvement Office at 904.390.2960.
|
