Adventure and Integrity
Jason Uria agreed to mentor a child for one year, and ten years later the relationship is still going strong. He has witnessed his friend grow from a boy to a man.
It all started with Great Life Mentoring’s careful match process. During the interview and 20-hour training time, Program Specialist Cindy Fritz, got to know Jason and learned about the type of person he is. She learned about his values and interests, and what he hoped to accomplish as a mentor. That’s when she thought about Eain.
Eain had a love for the outdoors, fishing and mechanics, and Jason was a mechanic in the Air National Guard who also loved the outdoors. Fritz told Jason about three different boys who were all compatible with him, but he was drawn to Eain right away. She said she watched them bond early on, and she noticed that “Jason was all in.”
By the end of the first year, Fritz reported that Jason was driven by the potential he saw in his friend. He wanted to encourage Eain on all levels and, in particular, he really wanted to see him graduate from high school. Jason was inspired to be part of that process; to advocate, motivate and support his friend.
Jason and Eain agreed they wanted to extend their mentoring commitment, and Eain graduated from high school! Jason is clear to say he can’t take credit for that - Eain earned his diploma - but Jason got to be a part of supporting it. He says he had a bigger part in Eain trying out a semester of welding school, and they are “hoping to find a way for him to earn his welding certificates, which would allow him to turn his exceptional natural mechanical abilities into a self-sufficient living wage.”
Jason is a person drawn to adventure and high-intensity. He has climbed most of the mountains in the Portland to Seattle area: Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, Mt. St Helens and Mt. Rainier (some several times). He has also climbed Grand Teton and once ran three marathons in five weeks. But the adventure doesn’t end there. He can drive/ride/fly just about anything: semis, busses, forklifts, motorcycles, prop planes, jets, etc. He adds that helicopters and boats aren’t his strong points, but he can handle them both safely, too. He also loves to work on vehicles, tweaking and perfecting them to increase their performance.
As you can imagine, Jason and Eain have had all kinds of fun over the past ten years. They enjoy fishing, hiking and spending time working on engines and other mechanical projects together - week after week, year after year.
Visiting with Jason and Eian recently, this writer witnessed the mentor declaring his friend’s exceptional mechanical abilities. First he bragged to me about his friend, and then he looked at his friend and started coaching and encouraging him in his future. At that point, I became a first-hand witness to their well-developed relationship.
You don’t have that kind of influence and opportunity to speak directly into a person’s life unless you have earned it. Jason has truly earned the right to influence his friend. Even after he had to move two hours away, he kept his ongoing commitment and still sees his friend on a regular basis. It’s about doing what you say you will do - It’s about living with integrity.
Jason says, “Mentoring may sound simplistic but, the best thing a person can bring into the relationship is to just care about your friend.” He tells us that “if you genuinely care, you’ll get involved, listen and stay in touch. Beyond that, you may have the opportunity to lead, guide and give gentle constructive advice.”
Jason’s values and priorities in life are his faith, family and serving others. But he doesn’t pretend he’s made differently than he is. He is still adventurous and drawn to highly intense physical challenges like exhilarating or high endurance sports. So, balance is essential.
Jason says he has benefitted from having a healthy relationship with two exceptionally loving and caring parents, which was the foundation for everything he has ever done. He appreciates having what he calls “wise council and biblical wisdom” in his life, and he is discovering that it’s equally beneficial to give some of that wisdom away, “hence, mentoring.”
Jason says that sharing a little slice of time and healthy caring guidance can be a tiny nudge that makes a huge positive impact in the long run.
Great Life Mentoring would like to thank Jason Uria for ten years of faithful mentoring and modeling integrity for us all. Jason received his 10-year Faithful Mentoring Award at at Great Life Mentoring event in Vancouver, Washington.