Mentoring with?On Campus Transition?has blossomed over the current semester, a total of 164 individuals mentor one or more students weekly. ?The program allows a great amount of On Campus Transition students with?intellectual and developmental disabilities?the chance to meet new people and build friendships which last well beyond their years at UNF.
With the growth of the mentoring program, events were created to allow for additional times and locations where mentors and mentees could socialize. This semester, mentor recruitment has hosted two events which enable mentors and mentees to interact under different circumstances: a scavenger hunt and a ping pong match where all could show off the skills they had developed over the first part of the semester during their mentoring sessions.
All mentors share the same devotion to not only help a fellow student but also take a glance into a community different from their own. Mentors and mentees have tremendous respect for each other and enjoy their time spent together. ?The following is a comment left by a mentor in a recent survey about the program and the student(s) they mentor:
Participating in the First Annual OctoberQuest Scavenger Hunt
?I?ve seen tremendous growth with [my mentee]?s social skills over the last year. She has gotten to a point where she asks me questions and is also interested in how my week is going. Not only have I seen a change in her behavior with me, but I have also seen her reach out to other OCT students.?
Written by Ashley Talbot
AmeriCorps Youth Transition and Service Project Chair
On Campus Transition Mentor Recruiting Office