As the 2017-18 school year comes to a close, and many mentors hold their final mentoring session, iC.A.R.E. Mentoring would like to look back at the wonderful memories and stories our mentors have shared with us over this last year. These recollections, our Mentor Moments, help us see what is working while providing real life stories to share about the impact of the program. With that said, here are 4 Mentor Moments that stood out to us among your many excellent submissions.

Mentor Moment 1

One mentor reminds us of the joy that comes with opening doors for our mentees. Just explaining things in a new light is sometimes all we need.

“When I’m explaining his options in life his eyes light up! He tells me, ‘I didn’t know that was an option!’ It gives me a good feeling that I know he is interested in what I have to say!”

Mentor Moment 2

A persuasive mentor discovers how far a smile can take you, and serves as a great example that some relationships take time, but can blossom into true friendships.

“I have been mentoring my mentee for several months, and he has always been very quiet and reserved. Sometimes, when I’m mentoring him, I must ask many questions before getting more than a one-word response. Last week, I worked hard to get him to smile by wearing a silly hat and challenging him to a smile-off. I would smile at him and he would try to frown back. He couldn’t do it, and we both ended up laughing. It was a breakthrough!“

Mentor Moment 3

One of our community group mentors let the mentees take charge of a project, and it worked out perfectly!

“We decided to let the mentees take the reins on this one, and we (the mentors) acted only as moderators answering basic question so to get them on their way. We split them up into teams to work on a project, letting them decide how to go about completing the task. We were thrilled to see the mentees quickly learned that working as a team was far more productive than working alone and divided. Soon mentees were bouncing ideas off one another and making progress.“

Mentor Moment 4

Finally, our last mentor moment shows that every session has a chance to be “the one” where you both connect. Breakthroughs can happen at any moment, be ready for them!

“I have only been working with my mentee for about six weeks and had made some progress in building a relationship with her, but I still did not have an idea of how she really felt about me. However, just before she was ready to leave our last session, she came to me and under her own volition gave me a big, spontaneous hug. I was astounded and barely made it to the parking lot before some joyful tears escaped. What an unexpected breakthrough!”

If you have a mentor moment you think we should hear, please submit yours to our Mentor Moments portal after signing in. We’d love to feature some of your stories next year! As this school  year comes to a close, what was your favorite moment with your mentee? Don’t be shy! Tell us in the comments, or share these stories with others using the social share buttons in the top right.