One of My Best Decisions

This week I headed back to Eugene for the first time since I left. And there is plenty that I can write, and probably will write, about my feelings associated with that trip, however, for this post, I'm focusing only on Aron.

Aron, unbelievably, is turning 13 this month. When I first was matched with him (April 06) through our mentoring agency, Committed Partners for Youth, he was only 10. I can't believe how he's grown, moreso in his personality than his size because he is still tiny. I hadn't seen him since May and took him out for a burger and to play some arcade games on Tuesday night. I was curious to see how he'd act around me. I didn't do well keeping in touch while I was in Texas, but when I called to tell them that I'd moved back, he was really excited on the phone, albeit brief like he is: "really?! I'm gonna tell my mom!" "Right now, Aron?" "Yeh! Bye!" (click). But he got into the car with me and was immediately updating me on starting 6th grade, his new friends, the fact that he's in 7th grade math even though he's only a 6th grader, and that he's getting straight A's! And I'm just amazed that this is the same kid I once knew who I could hardly get to utter a word.

On Wednesday morning, the reason for the timing of my trip, CPY had its annual mentoring sponsorship breakfast and Aron's sister Griselia was speaking about her mentor, AND they showed a video featuring Aron's mom Alfa. It was really touching to hear Alfa talk from her perspective about mentoring (five of her six kids have mentors) and to hear that we have made a difference to this family.

What I feel like I’ve gotten out of mentoring, in addition to a friendship with Aron and his family, is a better understanding how important it is that we are seen and heard and appreciated for the ways in which we are special and in which we contribute. And a better understanding of trust -- how hard it can be to give when someone has been hurt, how much it takes to earn and keep trust, and how precious it is. And I don't think I'd care this much. I didn't know how proud I'd be of him and of his family, how much I'd enjoy being part of their lives, and how much I'd love them.

Jocelyn & Griselia

Jocelyn, Gris, Alfa, Kelly (CPY), me, & Lizette


Me & Alfa


Junior, Aron, Alvaro, Griselia, Lizette, & Morelia

This board features Aron & me as a pair and has some information about my award and the trip we took last November.

Success story says:

Aron & Gretchen first met in April of 2006. Over the following 12 months, the pair had an extraordinary adventure together. Gretchen stepped up in an incredible time of need to mentor Aron, a young Mexican American boy from a monolingual family. Together Gretchen & Aron reached across language, culture, and gender differences to develop a very special friendship. In November 2007, Gretchen was rewarded the Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award by the Department of Health & Human Services. Gretchen, Aron, and Aron's mother traveled to Washington D.C. to receive the award. In her acceptance speech, Gretchen stated that the best part of mentoring was the gift of Aron's trust and friendship.



Video interview of Alfa, the kids' mom, about her perspective on her kids' mentors
(Kelly translate from Spanish; I recorded this with my camera so the audio is poor and there's a waiter that keeps getting in the way; text is below):

I have 6 kids, 3 girls and 3 boys. I've been here since 1982.
What kind of people are the mentors? Well, they are respectful people, they are kind, they are people who give really good advice to my kids.
The mentors take them out to lots of different places which is really important to the kids because I often don't have time to take them out. They also instill good values in them, like that they shouldn't use drugs or smoke, that they should finish school, that they should work toward a career so that they can really make something out of themselves and so that they can have better opportunities here in this country.
CPY has helped me by giving me mentors who have been able to help them take away the fear they had before. They've instilled good things in them and introduced them to lots of new and fun things that have enabled them to grow and change.
Especially Griselia. She couldn't talk to anyone, she couldn't go outside. She was always so closed in because she was afraid of everything.
But now they've changed. They've changed because... well I was afraid they'd never change because they always had this fear that if they went outside they might see their dad again and he would hurt them. But not anymore. They are like different kids now. They are new. These mentors have been able to help change my kids' lives.