When Jen Schaub from CUNA Mutual Group learned that 5th graders at the LCEC were in need of mentors, she jumped at the chance to fill a spot. Volunteer mentors team up with 5th graders in our afterschool program to ease their transition from elementary to middle school, and Jen was eager to connect with students and give back to the community.
Shortly into her time as a mentor, Jen knew she wanted to expand mentorship into a sustainable partnership program between the Center and CUNA Mutual Group. She kept sharing about her own experiences as a mentor, and enthusiastic colleagues jumped in. Now, for the first time since the program began three years ago, each of the LCEC’s ten 5th graders has her/his own mentor.
Julietta Johnson, one of Jen’s early recruits, is now a second-year mentor. Having little mentorship of her own while growing up, Julietta felt compelled to become a mentor for students who may not otherwise have that relationship. She looks forward to coming to the Center each week to spend time with her mentee. Together they get to work out what the 5th grader could use most. Maybe it’s homework, playing a game, or just talking with one another.
“I’m grateful to have this opportunity,” Julietta explains, “to be a constant in my mentee’s life, and to have a relationship that I can personally grow from, too.”
And now, enjoy these 7 seconds of fun…