Mentoring Through Accompaniment a mentoring story from Trenton, NJ

My name is Matt. and my mentees name is Juan. I am a graduate student and

Juan is in middle school. We are part of the mentoring program at El Centro de
Recursos of Catholic Charities in Trenton NJ
Though there are many reasons why I wanted to become a mentor, I think that a
lot of the reason that I was drawn to this role was because I come from a similar
background and could empathize with certain things unique to him.
Being a mentor, now there is something that I can say that ties me to the
community that I live in. But then, being a mentor goes beyond just your
involvement in outreach. There are a million ways to do that. Mentoring
specifically, however, is very different. To me, it is to be, in some small way,
responsible for someones outlook and to care about their dreams and thoughts
and to just be there for them. This could mean hearing them complain or telling
them a story, watching a movie on your laptop, reading a comic, or even extra
refills at a restaurant. The most impactful thing that being a part of this program,
to me, is just to be a part of my mentees lifebeing there for him for the small
moments that hes living through.
One memorable activity that comes to mind would probably have to be when we
went out for Chinese food at a buffet. It was one of our first meetings and I
remember getting ready that morning thinking up random stuff to say and points
to bring up. But then when I saw him, I just decided to let him take the reins,
asked him what he found interesting, how he killed time. I didnt really need to
talk because this isnt about me. Its just about being thereattentive and
sensitive, patient and excited.
For more information about mentoring in Trenton, contact:
Maria Duarte mduarte@cctrenton.org