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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 2016)
ASPIRE ASPIRE from Page 3B c oordinators in the past five years, and only two volunteer mentors from last year came back for the 2016-17 school year. “There was not consistency from year to year because this jobkeptturningoverandsome- one kept coming in and having to figure out how to do it,” he said. Enough volunteers for all students Bisek’sfirsttaskisexpanding the number of volunteers so ide- allystudentscanstartsettingtheir firstmentorshipmeetingasearly as sophomore year, and then meet consistently throughout their ju- nior and senior years. “That way they’re well ahead of schedule and already having that conversation,” Bisek said. For now, however, “I have al- most every senior assigned to a volunteerandI’mreadytostart pairingupjuniors,aswell.” Thevalueofhavingapletho- raofvolunteersis,primarily,so studentscanreceivementorship earlier, when they have more power and flexibility to change courseorperformbettertomeet certain goals. The field of op- tions is much wider for fresh- men; as they begin senior year, the field narrows, because it’s hardertochangeaGPAoraccu- mulateextracurricularaccolades at that point. Second, having numerous mentors allows Bisek to be more selective when assigning men- torswithstudents. “Once you get enough vol- unteers you can start pairing in waysthatappealtothestudents’ needs or career interests, and it’s notrandom,”hesaid. Also,ifcertainpairingsdon’t gosmoothlybecauseofperson- ality differences, they could be adjusted. “Sometimes you need to tin- keralittlebittofindagoodfit,” GO GULLS Proud Supporter of SHS for 5 Generations Freshly Made Carmel Corn Hand Dipped Chocolates Soft Chewy Salt Water Taff y Creamy Fudge 888-488-4260 1605 SE Ensign Ln Warrenton www.lumsautocenter.com 217 Broadway in Seaside 503.738.5402 phillipscandies.com Bisek said. “I would like to be able to have that option, and we’reworkingtowardthat.” Studentswhoalreadyareser- viced through Upward Bound — which begins in ninth grade — and Talent Search — which begins in sixth grade — do not getassignedanASPIREmentor asitwouldberedundant. What mentoring involves Volunteers meet with one to 10 students at a frequency that is convenient for both parties. That can be weekly or monthly, dependingonthestudents’goals andmotivation,Biseksaid. Mentors develop relation- ships with the students and dis- cusstheirfutureplans,goalsand options. Bisek has a binder with in- formation for mentors, and they also can find resources, such as usefulwebsitesandtrainingtips, onlinethroughASPIRE. Good luck Seaside High School Athletes! Simple Elegance 503.436.1151 988 S. Hemlock Street Cannon Beach, OR 97110 www.newmansat988.com Bisekmeetswithnewvolun- teer mentors one-on-one to go overmaterial.Healsoispresent during their first meeting with each student, to facilitate the transition. From there, he is available to do research and help mentors find answers to students’ ques- tions. He meets with mentors from month to month to inform themofwhatiscomingup. “My primary goal as coordi- nator is that you don’t feel like you need to do a lot of home- worktobeavolunteer,”hesaid. “I want your main focus just to be making that connection with thestudents.” Mentors provide a unique presenceinastudent’slife.They aren’t there to critique grades or demand certain outcomes. Rath- er,theyaremeanttoencouragea student’s passion and help them realizewhatisavailabletothem. Some students don’t have those conversations at home; some do, andperhapstuneouttheirparents, Bisek said. Teachers may address post-high school plans in class, buttheyhave tostayfocused on coursecurriculum. But meetings with mentors offer a designated time for stu- dents to consider what they want todonextandtakestepstoward achievingit. “You’re just taking the real- ity of their current situation and telling them where they can go withtherestoftheirlife,”Bisek said. “More often than not, it’s far broaderthanthestudentsbelieve. Especially being on the coast in a smaller town, they just don’t thinktheyhaveasmanyoptions astheydo.” Additionally, since about 30 to40percentofSeasidestudents don’t pursue higher education, mentors also can introduce them to career options, apprenticeships andvocationaltraining. No matter what a student’s hopes and dreams are, “we’re here to build them up,” Bisek said. GO GULLS! GOOD LUCK TO ALL WINTER ATHLETES, TEAMS & COACHES!! Proudly supporting SHS activities for over 53 years! • 2 LOCATIONS • Downtown Cannon Beach 503-436-2641 Seaside Outlet Mall 503-738-7828 www.brucescandy.com Seagull Pride • Winter 2016-17 • Seaside Signal/Cannon Beach Gazette • 11