Wednesday, January 18, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
MENTORS: Preparing
students for post-high
school choices
Continued from page 3
whom they meet individually.
Sisters resident and
mother of two sons, Lori
Larson has served as an
ASPIRE mentor for close to
45 students over the past nine
years.
“I’ve had students say
that my guiding, prodding
and advocating for them was
instrumental in their admis-
sions and scholarship oppor-
tunities,” she shared.
Larson grew up in a small
tourist town in the north
woods of Wisconsin similar
to Sisters, a fact that helped
her empathize with the need
for students to have one-on-
one guidance to plan beyond
high school. She didn’t have
that opportunity at her high
school, so she is happy to
now help students discover
opportunities they didn’t
know existed before. She
thinks it is important to give
students the responsibility to
plan their future while getting
guidance from an adult who
is not their parent.
“Mentors may be saying
the same things as parents,
but somehow students listen
better to a mentor. And, par-
ents appreciate our involve-
ment,” Larson said.
SHS student Jonathan
“JW” Bertagna, one of
Larson’s mentees, thinks it
is important for teens to have
mentors.
“It is very important.
They have lots of knowledge
to share and can hold you
accountable,” Bertagna said.
To adults considering
being a mentor, Bertagna
offers this advice: “If you
want to make a good differ-
ence in a student’s life, you
should do this.”
Larson typically meets
with her mentees about every
four to six weeks, although
she will meet as often as
necessary, which may mean
weekly during some phases.
The role of a mentor can vary
with each student. Some stu-
dents need minimal support
while others are guided every
step of the way. It varies with
the needs and interests of the
student, and sometimes the
parents.
“If students are engaged
and putting in the effort, I am
more than willing to offer as
much time as needed for a
student to achieve his or her
goals.”
Students who engage and
put the effort into explor-
ing and planning their future
have a rewarding experience,
learning skills such as creat-
ing a résumé, acquiring let-
ters of recommendation and
interviewing skills.
Larson pointed out there
isn’t a one-size-fits-all for-
mula for mentoring students
with their education after
high school. Mentors from
different backgrounds enrich
the experience for students
and the ASPIRE volunteer
community. Helping stu-
dents take one step at a time
and prioritize is key. To uti-
lize a mentor, students don’t
have to be planning on col-
lege. They can receive guid-
ance regarding vocational
training, specialized pro-
grams, employment, and the
military.
Another ASPIRE men-
tor, Kerani Mitchell, who is a
program manager for Sisters
Folk Festival, is a first-year
mentor who is a graduate of
SHS where she was involved
in many activities. She thinks
her background helps her
to understand the pressure
that some of the students are
under in respect to achieving
success.
She is working with both
juniors and seniors and finds
that the seniors are very inde-
pendent. As a new mentor
she said there is some outside
learning to understand the
requirements for each grade
and estimates she spends
one to two hours a week per
mentee.
Mitchell shares an interest
in music with one of her men-
tees, Brandon Ermatinger,
who said, “I feel it is impor-
tant to have a mentor. They
are able to help you figure
out what you want for your
future and the direction you
want to go.” He added, “Get
a mentor especially if you
don’t have an exact idea of
what you want to do in the
future. A mentor can help
you figure that out.”
Both Mitchell and Larson
meet with their mentees
at the high school. Larson
does sometimes meet out-
side school hours, with the
parents’ knowledge, to assist
with application deadlines, or
to prepare for an interview.
To stay in touch and check-
in on deadlines, she also texts
with her mentees.
“We meet and talk about
dreams, interests, and goals
31
beyond high school; use
computers/Internet to show
students how to conduct
research and explore schools,
and help complete online
applications. We establish a
framework and schedule to
meet deadlines. I advise and
provide guidance; connect
them with additional expert
resources, such as test prep,
and financial-aid resources,”
said Larson.
As seniors prepare to
graduate, Larson likes to give
her mentees a book or hand-
outs on tips for surviving col-
lege. She offers tips to help
smooth the transition from
high school to college.
“It does ‘take a village’
to guide Sisters students in
being successful beyond high
school. The ASPIRE mentors
are a key component of the
village in Sisters,” concluded
Larson.
To volunteer or for more
information, contact Rick
Kroytz, ASPIRE coordina-
tor, 541-241-4841 or rick.
kroytz@sisters.k12.or.us.
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