Exterior of Port Richmond High school.

Today was the first day I was able to meet with my mentee from Port Richmond High School. It was actually quite fun so I thought I would write about my experience and give some advice to those that have yet to go from this program at Wagner or anyone that is about to mentor someone.

My first piece of advice would be to not go alone on your first meeting with your mentee. I went with three other mentors: Allison, Shannon, and Kim. Although later on you may want to meet with your mentee one on one, a bigger group at first can make them feel more comfortable and relaxed. One of the mentees was very shy so having more people around helped to get him to talk more. The four of us and our mentees were able to sit down and talk for a period and get to know each other. We learned so much about them. Where they live, their family life, sports they play, television shows they watch, and many other little facts. We also discussed their love for cooking, which brings me to my second piece of advice. Don’t assume they want to pursue a culinary career. Many of these students are in this program because they enjoy cooking as a hobby. So when mentoring them about college, make sure to talk about all possibilities and not just a narrow frame for culinary careers.

Whether or not you go alone, my last piece of advice is to think of some questions you’d like to ask them before going. Having the conversation flow easily will relax your mentee and make them open up more. Ask them a mix of questions about themselves and about cooking. For instance I asked them a question about their favorite sports team and then Kim asked about their favorite dish to prepare. We went back and forth with different questions. We also asked them if they had any questions for us about ourselves or about college. We told them about our college experience thus far and asked them what their plans are for the future so that we can help them prepare and give some advice. I believe it was a very successful first meeting and hope all of you have a similar experience.

On October 8th, a beautiful Thursday morning my class and I ventured into Port Richmond. For our experiential learning in our LC’s, our class is going to take on the task of being suitable mentors for the students in Port Richmond High School. More specifically, the students a part of the schools’ culinary program. I remember first walking into the classroom and thinking, “Oh god, how am I going to mentor someone and help them out when I was in their position merely a few years ago!?” I was nervous but, at the same time excited. I enjoy helping other people out in whatever way I can. I get a sense of satisfaction from simply being able to put a smile on someone else’s face. Thus, when we first walked into the room to meet our mentees, it appeared to me that both classes just awkwardly stood their for a while just looking at each others apprehensive facial expressions. Then one teacher called out “Okay guys just introduce yourselves to someone and make friends.” With that said, everyone began to socialize with one another. I, still confused and nervous, just stood their for a few moments just thinking who am I going to mentor? Then, with some encouragement from my friend, went up to a girl in front of me to simply get to know her. Her name was Rebecca. Rebecca and I instantly clicked. She was a sweet, enthusiastic, and funny girl with a strong passion for cooking and baking. We spoke about all the foods she’s made as well as her experiences in the culinary class. We even shared a few laughs about my lack of cooking skills. By the end of the class, a friend from my class needed a mentee and decided to join Rebecca and I. Now that the three of us have been placed together for the rest of the semester, we will get the opportunity to get to know each other, learn from each other and grow from each others experiences. I’m excited to see what this mentor-mentee relationship will bring about for I have truly enjoyed my trip to Port Richmond High School. 🙂