It’s January, and that means it’s National Mentoring Month! This month, our 14Y community is celebrating and elevating the mentoring movement—something most of our programs participate in year-round.
Our Early Childhood educators mentor some of our youngest members, ensuring their students feel respected, trusted and empowered to be their own little person. New Country Day Camp’s Aspenfire program for 7th and 8th graders focuses on a reflection-based development of individual identity, interpersonal relationship skills and community-building. These campers have an opportunity to create and lead special activities for their fellow campers and TumbleRoot (our youngest campers), which prepares them for the opportunity to work as counselors at NCDC in future summers.
Mentorship happens all day, everyday at the 14Y.
Today is extra special—it’s International Mentoring day in honor of Muhammad Ali’s birthday—and we’re taking a moment to celebrate and thank the mentors who have supported us. Please join us and others around the world on social media to share photos, videos and messages of powerful mentoring stories.
As the Director of Marketing, I have the privilege of working with many remarkable individuals including two awesome marketing interns—both happened to be named Jacob. In anticipation of Mentoring Awareness Month, I asked them to share how mentoring has positively impacted their lives.
In 2014, I joined a new social group. I knew some of the people there from my high school but I didn’t know many of them very well. In my first several months there I received very thoughtful and helpful support from the woman who led the group, Hannah, who proved to be an important mentor to me.
Because I was anxious about not knowing the other members of the group, Hannah stepped in and introduced me to them. With her help, I got to know them well and became comfortable with everyone. After regularly attending for a while, I found out that some of the people there were getting together socially outside of the group. I told Hannah that I also wanted to develop friendships with some of my peers. Hannah was extremely supportive and she motivated me to set up get-togethers, put folks’ numbers in my phone, and start to really get to know the other people in the group more personally and as friends.
The support of Hannah and other mentors like her that I have had in my life has made me the person I am today. Mentors play a very special role in people’s lives and I want to thank all of them for the work that they do as we celebrate National Mentoring Month, and International Mentoring Day.
In Spring 2017, a kind woman introduced me to the art of yoga. Her name was Mukti Devi. The two of us met at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, which is located on West 24th Street in New York City. Devi taught me yoga poses, how to keep myself in the now, and best of all, how to meditate.
Every Tuesday, she gave me private lessons at the yoga center. On Saturdays, I trained at her house. For three years, I took yoga class with Mukti Devi. Since then, yoga, and especially meditating, have helped me regain my focus. Yoga also helps me relieve stress and calm down, especially when I rest in shavasana on the mat. Devi’s teachings drove me to meditate every night before sleep. If there’s one thing I can thank this amazing mentor for, it’s driving me to meditate and manage my body in healthy, calming ways.
Thank you, Mukti Devi, for teaching me this beautiful art and for helping take a huge step in a positive direction.
Celebrate Mentoring Awareness Month with Us!
#ThankYourMentor
If you’ve had a mentor, please share a thank-you note of your appreciation for their hard work in helping you to achieve your goals.
#MentoringAmplifies
What’s your mentoring story? Share your role in mentoring someone and reflect on the ways mentees have enhanced your world. This is a great way to share words of support and thoughtful advice to the next generation of mentors.