Mentoring Awards 2021
The 2021 awards season is upon us, and it wouldn’t be complete without shining a light on some truly amazing individuals who have been heroes, protectors and encouragers of children facing adversity in our community. With over 50 years of collective service, each of these mentors have gone far beyond their original one-year commitments.
When twelve-year-old Evan met his mentor in 2001 he thought, “No one is that nice ... What’s this guy's angle?” Evan didn’t trust this new man, and that’s fine. Trust is something we shouldn’t just give away. It needs to be earned.
One year later, Evan told us he found out his mentor truly is who he says he is: “He really is that nice!” Twenty years later, their friendship is still solid.
At Great Life Mentoring, we’ve got a lot of amazing stories to tell. You can read children’s stories and mentor features on our blog. Right now, we want to highlight the five very deserving mentors who are this year’s award recipients.
Rick Weismann — Five Years of Loyal Service
Rick is an open-minded and non-judgmental person who has been mentoring his friend through an extraordinary amount of change and instability, including several moves over the last five years. Rick has really been someone his friend could depend on.
Rick says the most important things he has brought to his friend are consistency and positive feedback, both of which are sorely lacking in his life.” He says, “It is vital that we, as mentors, follow through on our commitments and be a steadying influence.” He has sometimes doubted his impact on his friend’s life, but now realizes these doubts are unfounded.
Rick’s friend has a captivating assurance about him, particularly since he’s been matched with Rick. He sets goals for himself, and one of them is to attend college.
Rick says “giving back, in some form, is important for me personally, and my friend has blessed my life by allowing me to do that. He’s an inspiration to me in that he is surviving and growing despite the odds.”
MyKaila Forsyth — Five Years of Loyal Service
MyKaila Forsyth is a lovely balance of being both fun and mature for her friend. When she started mentoring five years ago, she was working full-time and attending college. Her friend was inspired by this and asked if they could do homework together for the first part of their weekly outing, then do the fun stuff.
MyKaila’s friend felt comfortable with her from the start. She needed someone who would be loyal and devoted to her, and help her learn to trust people who are worthy of it. Those things have happened with MyKaila. Their first anniversary was memorable because they both had tears as they expressed their appreciation for each other. MyKaila is tall, and it has been fun to see that over five years, her friend has grown up to be about the same height now. These two say they will be lifelong friends.
Nathan Fuller — Five Years of Loyal Service
Nathan mentors his friend unconditionally and with an empowering presence. He cheers his friend on, never seeking to change him, but embracing his friend's unique qualities. The two of them enjoy simple things together, like laughter and games.
Nathan says, “you’d think that I could handle my own playing Scrabble with him, but he regularly destroys me with like 80 point words that I don’t even know exist!”
His friend always has a smile on his face and a cheerful disposition since being matched with Nathan. They have a unique bond and are natural together. “Giving back to someone with no expectation of anything in return is really special. It helps them, but it also shows you something about yourself and your capacity to influence someone’s life.”
Mentoring these five years has been something Nathan says he “truly cherishes.” Nathan’s friend was struggling when they first met, but he has truly blossomed over the years. “His whit, humor, and the joy he brings to every conversation spills over and always manages to brighten my day, every time we see each other. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to see him grow and develop into the confident young man he is today.”
Jen King — Sixteen Years of Outstanding Service
Jen has been a stabilizing force in her friend’s life for sixteen years! There were times in life when her friend didn’t feel like she had any support. She was in desperate need of a cheerleader and someone in her corner. And then she met Jen, who is warm-hearted, nurturing and patient. Her self-esteem and self-worth have grown as a result of Jen’s faithful, unconditional positive regard. Jen’s friend has a calm and sweet presence, which is a beautiful reflection of Jen’s presence in her life.
One of the things Jen says she has enjoyed most about mentoring was bonding over a common hobby. “We both love arts, and crafts and our visits have often involved a fun project, like beading, scrapbooking and drawing. It’s been a fun and relaxing way to get to know one another, deepen our friendship and have sensitive conversations.”
Jen tells us it has given her a great deal of joy to watch her friend successfully overcome some of the challenges she had as a teen and young adult. “The mentoring relationship and our enduring friendship has forged a bond that means a great deal to both of us. I've now known her for almost half of her life (we met when she was 17 and she's now 33)! I've seen her graduate high school and we've both become parents.” Jen and her friend recently spent a couple of hours catching up at a park, reflecting on the years past, recalling some of the fun they’ve had together, talking about their kids and sharing their dreams for the future.
Phil Dietz — Twenty Years of Outstanding Service
Phil Dietz can best be described as a “man of God.” That is his greatest value and consistent pursuit in life. He was recruited as a Great Life mentor in 2000, when he was in school at Multnomah University.
One of the strongest transition points of the mentoring relationship between him and his friend was just after the first year. Phil’s twelve-year-old friend was able to reflect and say that when he met Phil he didn’t trust him. He thought, “what’s this guy's angle?” But week after week, month after month, he got to know Phil and surprisingly declared, “he really is who he says he is.”
There were times when Phil was the only person who believed in his friend. But he provided faithful, consistent, unconditional love and care, and today they are adult friends with a mutually respectful friendship.
Phil is an authentic, trustworthy, kind and generous person. For the past 20 years, he has shown us all the power of Great Life Mentoring.
These five people are excellent examples of Great Life mentors. The organization pairs children facing adversity with adults who provide them with a sense of hope, purpose and lifelong inspiration.
There were a dozen other volunteers who received medallions for going beyond their one-year commitment with Great Life Mentoring this year and twenty new mentors who engaged during the pandemic, a uniquely difficult time to be mentoring, and a true testimony to their kindness. Each one was motivated to reach out to a child experiencing loneliness and isolation.
These generous people gathered for a virtual celebration this week, along with many other Great Life mentors whose match relationships average over four years. The Great Life Mentoring board hosted the event to appreciate mentors and celebrate this unique organization.
Follow the links to become a mentor, receive more information on Great Life Mentoring or donate to help children facing adversity.