The power of a mentor is simply endless.
Take a minute to think about who has had the most impact in your life. Why did you look up to them? Why did spending time with them mean so much? These questions will help you see why mentoring a young person is so important.
Making a difference in someone else’s life can be so rewarding and give them the skills and encouragement they need to succeed in life. If you have ever been exposed to negative influences, then you can understand how much mentoring can mean to a young person.
We live in a world where children are introduced to violence and drugs at a very early age. This can hinder so many parts of their life, but one positive influence can help take them out of those negative situations.
The power of a mentor is simply endless.
Mentor success
Success often comes because a person was pushed to reach their goals. Most successful people can tell you a number of stories about the positive influences they had in their life. In those stories, you will hear about the time they spent together and how encouragement was always a part of their relationship.
Mentors offer many benefits that children may not otherwise experience in their life. There are so many studies that offer the positive effects of a child being mentored. Success is found in personal goals as well as academically. Mentored youth tend to be more confident and are less likely to end up engaging in drugs or violent activity.
The facts
Here are just some of the facts showing how much of a positive influence in a child’s life can make a difference.
- Confidence – Girls who are mentored are two and half times more confident in the way they perform academically.
- Less Peer Pressure – Boys who are mentored are three times less likely to experience peer-pressure and anxiety and two times less likely to fall into bad behaviors.
- Attending College – Mentors increase the likelihood of a youth attending college by 50%. When a teacher mentors, these odds double.
- Less Drug Use – Mentored youths are 46% less likely to use drugs and 27% less likely to use alcohol.
A mentor has the ability to enhance a young person’s academic performance. These young people are less likely to drop out of school, attendance is not an issue and are more likely to graduate.
Why should you mentor?
Investing your time in a child who needs it can give so much to their future. It will help enhance their confidence, ability to set goals and work hard to achieve them. Here are some mentoring benefits you may consider when thinking about volunteering your time.
Potential – Self-worth is something not everyone realizes. Without a positive influence, a child may have no chance at seeing what they are truly worth. As a mentor, you will be able to help a child realize their abilities and talents. When a person’s potential is recognized it will shine through in all areas of their life.
Community – There are many programs which offer mentoring, including community, schools and church organizations. Regardless of which type of organization you decide to sign up with, you will be giving back to your community in a positive way. This is the perfect way of investing in the future generation.
Finding Out About You – Mentoring can help you find out more about yourself. It will unveil your strengths, weak points, skills, and values. Sharing your life with someone else can help you discover who you are.
Make a Difference – A positive relationship can change a person’s life in so many ways. Especially when that person is young and easily influenced. Remember, you may serve as the only stability in a young person’s life.
Bettering Yourself – Being an example for youth can help enhance your social skills and help improve the way you make decisions. Mentoring will allow you to learn and build upon yourself while giving to someone else.
No matter what the reason is, mentoring can bring so much joy to both you and the child you are mentoring. You are investing in the future while improving upon yourself. There are endless possibilities for mentoring.