Transylvania County Mentors

CISTC’s CHAMP program and Brevard College’s IWIL program partnered last fall to put mentors and students together.  “The mentoring portion of the IWIL program is only a piece of the overall curriculum, but it’s a very important piece,” said Michelle Harvey Brevard College’s Assistant Director of Student Life.

The girls and women had time to chat together, share in a meal, and make plans for the future.  “We have a lot in common,” said Porshlyn Owen, one of the eighth grade mentees who would like to be a chef one day.  “We both like the outdoors, baking, and cooking in general.  She’s more of a friend to me – we talk about the same things I talk to my friends about.” 

Porshlyn’s mentor, Kristen Taylor is a Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education major.  “It was hard in the beginning, figuring out what we were going to do,” she said.  “We didn’t exactly follow the scripted rules, but now we have no shortage of things to talk about.” 

Another eighth grade student, Arika Parker, says her mentor really helped her to learn to be herself.  Arika’s mentor, Lauren Wise, has been impressed with Arika from the beginning.  “She already knows her goals, and that’s admirable,” Wise says of Parker.

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Desiree Jenkins says her mentor is like an older sister.  “Breaking the ice in the beginning was definitely a tough step,” stated Ki’era Gash, Jenkins mentor.  “I think we’ll continue being friends.  We already talk on the phone a lot.”

Overall, sixteen mentoring matches were made through this program, which focused on leadership, community service and building self esteem.  Each mentor/mentee met once a week for one to two hours.

On March 30th Brevard Middle School girls and their families had the opportunity to visit Brevard College for a presentation about the college women’s spring break service trip to Georgetown, SC, which the IWIL women planned and participated in as part of their leadership class. The program was followed by a reception and a behind-the-scenes tour of the college.  The highlight of the evening was giving the BMS students a chance to “hang out” in the residence hall to get the feel of life on campus.  “That was a key moment for a lot of these middle school girls,” said Joanne Snyder.  “Many tim es, just a feel for campus life can be the spark that ignites the fire.”

CHAMP is Communities In Schools of Transylvania County’s new mentoring program.  The program is a school-based mentoring program, providing mentors to students referred by administration at their school.  “It’s very exciting to see this program take off with such enthusiastic results,” said Betsy Langston, CISTC Executive Director.  “We have a definite prototype now that we want to emulate in all of our county schools next fall.”

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