Cross Age Mentoring

“Becoming a mentor is one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I have seen huge changes in (my mentee) from the way she communicates with others to the way she presents herself.”

-Sofia Trejo, Cross Age Mentor

Sofia wrote these words on her final paperwork for the mentoring program about three years ago. It is no surprise to anyone that she is now a college student and her mentee is preparing to start advanced high school classes.

The Cross Age Mentoring Program offers a tremendous opportunity for high school students to capitalize on their “coolness” to the benefit of an elementary student in need of academic support. There is a magical connection between high school and elementary students that lends its self to mentoring. A teenager can have a tremendous influence on a younger student, and the Cross Age Mentoring Program channels that influence in a positive manner.

With a new school year gearing up, it’s time to build our force of Cross Age Mentors. High school students are invited to apply to the program through our office at the Department of Education. Mentors must commit to at least one day a week after school for an entire semester at a SERRF site of their choice. They are welcome to mentor more days than one. Mentors remain with the same mentee for the semester.

Cross Age Mentor Coordinator Suzanne Seesman will be on campus at Red Bluff, Corning and Los Molinos High Schools once school begins, but students are welcome to apply directly to our office prior to her visits. We welcome students from public, private, charter and home schools.

Supporting Mentors

Tehama has a remarkable cadre of mentors throughout the county who are supporting youth by sharing what they know with their own personal style. While each relationship is unique, there are often universal issues faced by all who  step into the roll of a mentor. That’s why the Tehama County Mentoring Program offers monthly Mentor Gatherings for its mentors. These are fun, confidential gatherings of mentors and staff to discuss mentoring, share ideas and brainstorm ways to enrich the program and our mentoring relationships.

We always feed our mentors at these gatherings, and that most certainly includes dessert!

Visit us at the farmers market!

While you’re picking up fresh summer veggies,  fruits and flowers  at the Wednesday night farmers market in Red Bluff, stop by the mentoring booth and pick up an application to become a mentor!

Mentoring staff are sharing a booth with the Local Childcare Planning Council and will be available to answer questions and share information on the unique fun of mentoring an area child.  Summer is the perfect time to begin the application process to become a school-based mentor in the fall!

TCMP Mentor is Volunteer of the Year!

The Tehama County Mentoring Program congratulates mentor Barbara Walls for being named Volunteer of the Year by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Tehama County!

This exciting announcement was made April 24 at a gala luncheon attended by representatives from the offices of US Representative Wally Herger, State Senator Sam Aanestad, and State Assemblyman Jim Nielsen. Tehama County Chief Administrator Bill Goodwin and Supervisor Charles Willard were also in attendance.

Barbara has been matched with her mentee, Dacoda, since March of 2006. A resident of Orland, Barbara made a commitment to mentoring in Tehama County when she realized Glenn County does not have a formal mentoring program. How lucky we have been to have her! Barbara and Dacoda have been quite the pair, enjoying everything from bocce ball to baking, arts and crafts to sports.

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program invites adults 55 and older to contribute to their communities through volunteer service. The Tehama County Mentoring Program has been a host site for RSVP members since 2004 and has grown to rely on the experiences provided by mentors in this category. Other RSVP mentors are Gertrude Crossman, and Pem Lester, both of Corning and Tresha Wing of Red Bluff.

Barbara and Dacoda: Bonded in Bocce

There is one thing Barbara Walls and her mentee Dacoda just can’t seem to agree upon: bocce ball. More specifically, who gets to wear the title “Queen of Bocce.” Each has crowned herself with the title and is adamantly unwilling to relinquish it to the other.

Bocce ball is one of several new activities Dacoda is trying with her mentor Barbara. “Friendly competition” is how they describe their play but it’s clear they’re both serious about the game. Dacoda, who had never played the game before meeting Barbara, can give a detailed description of how it’s played, following up with a look of pride at her mentor saying, “She’s the one who taught me that.”

In addition to bocce ball, the two enjoy trying new recipes in the kitchen, planting things in the yard, and arts and crafts. They’ve explored area parks, seen movies together and are enjoying the menu at Taco Bell. They also enjoy swimming. “We’re water girls,” says Barbara.

“We celebrate birthdays together”, says Dacoda, making sure to add that “We make brownies and cakes.” With this, Barbara gives a wink, knowing full well Dacoda is just making sure no one forgets that her birthday is only one month away. And it’s hard for everyone to believe that this birthday will see Dacoda turn 11 years old. The two were matched when she was eight. For Dacoda, “Miss Barbara” has become an important part of her life. “It’s kind of like a new family member for us,” she says. For Barbara, being matched with Dacoda gives her an opportunity to have children in her life again, something she has missed since her own children have grown.

Mentoring is more than an opportunity to try new activities for Dacoda. It’s an opportunity to try new ways of interacting with people and learning effective ways of communication. She can recall not being able to apologize to anyone for anything when she first met her mentor, including the time she accidentally hit Barbara with a rock in the garden. These days Dacoda says, “We talk a lot about feelings.” She can apologize now and has learned that “you don’t have to hold grudges.”

For Barbara’s part, she enjoys mentoring because, “It’s a creative outlet. It’s teaching, learning, experiencing. Our motto has been ‘Always do your best and do the next Right Thing’ It means to think about what you’re getting ready to do and make a choice.”

Dacoda, hugging Barbara, adds “Sometimes she can’t figure out her problems and I have to help her and sometimes I can’t figure out my problems and she has to help me.” They both agree that their mentoring relationship can be summed up with one word: caring.

Summer Scrapbooking!

Summer is a time to not only create special memories, but to record them creatively. The Tehama County Mentoring Program offers students and mentors a chance to create personal and unique scrapbooks on a weekly basis in both Corning and Red Bluff. The summer scrapbooking series is sponsored by the Tehama County Police Actvities League, which has purchased supplies including archival-quality papers, stickers, cutting implements and adhesives. Participants need only bring favorite photos and other items to record in their scrapbooks.

Future scrapbooking classes are offered:

• In Corning at the Family Resource Center, next to the West Street School cafeteria, July 14, 21, 28, August 4, 11, 18. 9:00am-12:00pm.
• In Red Bluff at the Tehama County Department of Education, 1135 Lincoln Street, July 15, 22 and 29. 10:00am-1:00pm.

Mentoring keeps you young!

For 74 year old Corning resident Pem Lester, mentoring through the Tehama County Mentoring Program is a bit like visiting the proverbial fountain of youth. “It keeps you younger, it keeps your mind working,” she says. “And of course, it helps the kids.”

Active in the Tehama County Cattlewomen, Corning Exchange Club and two flower clubs, Pem is hardly the type to sit around watching TV, but she says mentoring is a great way to keep her from sitting around the house all day and gives her something worthwhile to do. “There are so many kids out there that need help,” she says.

Pem is matched as a Mentor-Tutor at a Corning SERRF After School Program site. She meets once a week with her mentee to concentrate on the girl’s homework and literacy skills. “I hope she’s becoming more focused. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Many seniors are afraid that an age gap will keep them from connecting with younger children, but Pem has no problem with the difference in ages. “I handle it as being a grandma,” she says “I think the kids really like the idea of having a grandma around. One boy (at the SERRF site) kept asking me how old I am, but you have to take it in context. They want a grandma!”

Pem is simultaneously enrolled in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), of which Tehama County Mentoring Program is a service site. As an RSVP, Pem receives additional support and recognition with this cadre of senior volunteers. The Mentoring Program is her second RSVP placement. She started with the program seven years ago as a literacy volunteer at the Antelope School library in Red Bluff.

Pem is very clear about why she devotes time to mentoring: “My main goal is to help kids. If you don’t help them then they go astray and we pay for them in prison. We want to keep them out of prison and help them have a better life. If I had more time, I’d mentor another student!”

Group Outing with Dr. Doolittle!

Our next group outing will be Friday April 3, 2009 at the State Theatre in Red Bluff. Get ready to “see things you’ve never heard” with Sign Stage Theatre’s production of Dr. Doolittle. This will be our third year to attend a Sign Stage production, which will be amazingly offered in American Sign Language and spoken English. Last year we were treated to the delights and travails of James and the Giant Peach. In 2007  we kept up with the sly and cunning Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Latina Leadership Program

Latina Leadership is the newest endeavor of the Tehama County Mentoring Program. Ten 7th and 8th grade girls from Gerber School have been matched with 10 members of Lambda Theta Nu sorority at Chico State University.  Each month, the girls from Gerber meet their mentors on the Chico State campus to learn about the college experience, make preparations for their own admittance to college and develop leadership skills which include self-esteem, cultural competency, etiquette and high school success.

Below is an account of their first meeting on campus, when the group was greeted by Jesse Eller, the Chico State Associated Student Body President. Jesse was a 2003 graduate of Corning High School!

Corning High School Grad Inspires Young Leaders

When Corning High Class of 2003 alum Jesse Eller speaks, the classic playground game “Rock Paper Scissors” becomes a powerful metaphor for college–and life–success.

Eller, now Associated Student Body President at CSU, Chico, presented opening remarks to 10 Gerber Elementary Students and their college mentors involved in the Latina Leadership project through the Tehama County Mentoring Program on February 13 at CSU Chico’s Bell Memorial Union. He is the son of John and Nan Eller and Donna and Jody Mendes, all of Corning. Eller will graduate CSU, Chico in May with a degree in Agriculture Business.

“Rocks are people,” Eller said, “Friends, family, mentors.” He stressed the importance of long term friendships and finding mentors to guide.

“Paper is education and is extremely important,” he added. Eller followed up describing his journey through education with a learning disability and coming up from being behind with reading and writing skills. “I had to apply myself,” he stated.

“Scissors are to cut out fears,” he continued, urging the students to “Step out of our comfort zones and really try something new.”

The Gerber Latina Leadership group really is trying something new: college. Mentored by Lambda Theta Nu sorority members, the 7th and 8th grade girls are getting comprehensive guidance to make decisions in high school that will lead to college admissions. The February meeting, the inaugural gathering of the group, included information about Educational Opportunity Program and Upward Bound. Students were also introduced to Collegeboard.com and goal setting.

Lambda Theta Nu is a national collegiate sorority with a mission to promote and foster Latina Leaders through educational and professional development, relationship building and community involvement. Corning resident and former city council woman Yvette Zuniga is an advisor.

Meet our VISTA, Suzanne Seesman!

On December 5, 2008, after two days of training in Los Angeles and a cross country flight from Washington DC, Suzanne Seesman arrived in Red Bluff to begin her year as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Tehama County Mentoring Program. Suzanne coordinates the Cross Age Mentoring Program and can be found at SERRF sites and high schools around the county helping meet the mentoring needs of students in our after school programs with the talents and compassion of high school students.

Following is an interview between Mentor Coordinator Melissa Mendonca and Suzanne:

Melissa: Ok, Let’s start with the most important—what’s your favorite music?

Suzanne: Oh! This question is a tough one.  Like many people these days my tastes in music is eclectic.My favorite music right now changes depending on what I am doing.

In my car I like old soul or funk or something newer like “the gossip.”  Music for road trips is a whole other mix c.d. story.  I will tell you that these mix CDs usually have some “Queen”, “Misfits” and “Bikini Kill” tracks on them to keep my energy up.

While working, I like my Pandora station based on the electronic band “Air” (really steady smooth music with few distracting lyrics).

Some of my favorite bands right now that need to mention include “The Blow” and “Tracy and the Plastics”.  This kind of music combines the spirit of a ‘dance party’ with the idea of a ’study group’ and holds a really high place in my “all time favorites queue”

Melissa: Alright, but seriously, why did you choose Red Bluff and the Tehama County Mentoring Program as your VISTA site?

I was interested in checking out this region of California.  However, I chose the organization more than the location. When I read the TCMP job description on the VISTA site it seemed to be a position that fit well with the skills I had and that would also give me a chance to learn a lot.  And I was very interested in working with high school age mentors.

Providing young people with guidance and friendship seemed like a very effective way to build stronger communities and I wanted to become involved with that.   I was very happy when you offered me the position.

As for the location, I simply lucked out.  Tehama County is such a beautiful place to live and everyone I’ve met here has been very friendly.

Melissa: What’s your favorite thing about Tehama County so far?

Suzanne: Hmm…I think it is the general environment.  I drive quite a bit as TCMP’s VISTA and, even in the rain, I am inspired by the landscape with it’s rows of olive, nut and fruit trees, fields of cows and goats and the mountainous skyline.  The land around here is continuously inspiring.

When I think about this county as a whole the ideas of beauty and abundance come to mind.  It is nice to be surrounded in that feeling during my year as a VISTA.

Melissa: What do you hope to see in California before your VISTA year is finished?

Suzanne:  I tend to over plan when it comes to visiting new places.  So, I have tried to avoid thinking about this question too much! I want to see the Redwoods for sure and this summer I will definitely try to make it to the beach of the North Coast.

Other than that, I think I will relax and do what I have time to do.  So far, I’ve had fun snowshoeing on Mt. Lassen visiting friends in San Francisco, drinking coffee in Chico and hanging out near the capital in Sacramento.

I’m going to San Francisco again and I think I’ll take side trip to see a bit of the Napa Valley.  I would love to make it to any of the festivals: garlic, strawberry, asparagus or artichoke.

I am also psyched for the “Round Up” right here in Red Bluff.  It will be this cowgirl’s first Rodeo.

Melissa: Tell us about your hometown. Where did you grow up?

Suzanne: I’ve only started to appreciate my hometown as an adult. I grew up in Maryland in the suburbs outside of Washington D.C. I lived in a town called Gaithersburg. Growing up, I enjoyed where I lived but I didn’t see it as special or unique at all and as a teenager I thought that the suburbs in general were “kind of lame”. In high school my friends and I took every opportunity we had to hop the metro into the city.

In hindsight though, I realize that I was really lucky to have grown up in such an interesting place. Aside from it’s close proximity to a great city, Montgomery County has a lot to offer.  As a kid I took walks and bike rides with my family along the banks of the Potomac River and trips to Great Falls and Sugar Loaf Mountain.

At school we took trips to the Smithsonian Museums and the Kennedy Center and when I started working, as a teenager, I formed friendships with co-workers from all over the country and the world.  The suburban area outside of DC is actually a really interesting and fun place to grow up.  Living there taught me that the world is simultaneously big and small connected to history and on the verge of making history.  I can appreciate this about it now that I have been away.

Melissa:  How was college? What did you study?

Suzanne: College was great!  I went to school at Ohio University in Athens, where I met some of my favorite people.  I studied two things in college.  I studied Southeast Asian Studies and Fine Arts.

College is where I began to love school.  I learned to take charge of my own education and use it to develop my interests.  It was difficult though too. I have an interest in many things and it was easy to spread myself thin academically.  Learning balance was the main lesson of college for me.   Ultimately my education at Ohio University gave me the resources to continue learning for the rest of my life!

Melissa: What does it mean to you to be a VISTA?

Suzanne: VISTA stands for Volunteer in Service to America and I do feel like I am a small part of a large effort working toward the future of this country.  But, I think that the idea of VISTA reaches well beyond service to America.

VISTA is about learning how to be a part of your community wherever you go.

My experience with clubs and activist groups in college left me thinking that there is a lot more lofty and idealistic talk out there regarding community and community building than there is action.

The VISTA program helps you learn what being part of a community is all about by demanding that you use your skills wherever you are to support volunteers in the community.

VISTA makes practical work of the usually idealistic notion of community building.

I’m learning a lot as a VISTA and having a great time.

Melissa: What can a high school student expect if they sign up to be a Cross Age Mentor?

Suzanne: Excellent question! A high school student looking to mentor can expect to be challenged and to have fun.  A mentor is a role model a friend and a tutor wrapped into one. The main objective for any mentor is to figure out how to meet their mentees needs.  You ask yourself  “Does my mentee need help with school work, social skills, emotional development or some combination of these?”  Then you ask yourself  “What skills and abilities do I have as a mentor to meet these needs?” Once you answer these questions you get to work.

The truth of the matter is we all need help developing as people in this world and as mentors we all have something to give. For high school mentors the situation is not that different.

I think, high school mentors can be great mentors because they remember what it is like to go through grade school which most of us, who are older, do not remember well. So, in this respect Cross- Age mentors are in a unique position to figure out how to help their mentees be successful. And in my experience so far that is exactly what they do.  They help their grade school mentees succeed.

Faces of Mentoring: Miguel and Javi

For 30 year old mentor Miguel Garnica, mentoring has become a lesson in the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” For his 10 year old mentee, Javi, it’s been a lesson in “Hard work pays off.” The two, matched in September 2006, have been collaborating to improve Javi’s grades and develop a support system he can rely on. They’ve also been a having a lot of fun. If you ask them about their meetings, there always seems to be mention of a burger, burrito or milkshake!

One of the first things Miguel did when he met Javi was to shore up his resources. That meant getting to know important people in Javi’s family and life. “It’s great to talk to his teacher, his principal and the mentor coordinator,” says Miguel. As a case manager at the Corning Family Resource Center, Miguel has also been able to connect Javi to program resources in the community, including Family Fun Nights at the center. “We communicate with the village surrounding Javi.”

Miguel has nurtured Javi’s interest in the Titanic, something Javi says he was extremely interested in “for about two years”, but he’s also made sure Javi’s grades haven’t sunk like the famous ship. “When I wasn’t getting good grades, he helped me and I improved,” Javi says of Miguel. “Instead of doing fun stuff we read and then I improved. It wasn’t fun for me, but I improved.”

When asked how that improvement felt, Javi says, “I felt good getting good grades. I get a good feeling knowing I’m not behind. Right now I’m reading thick books instead of thin.”

But it’s not just English, Miguel is helping Javi with. They’re also working on Javi’s Spanish. Miguel related a simple but embarrassing mistake Javi made referring out loud to a woman at the Family Resource Center as an ‘old lady’ in Spanish.  “I mostly know English instead of Spanish,” says Javi. “For two weeks he (Miguel) only talked to me in Spanish. It was torture! I can understand it, but I couldn’t really talk it.” Javi then went on to speak extremely quickly in Spanish to prove that in this area, too, he has made improvements.

Miguel has become quite popular at Javi’s school, with boys flocking to him asking if he’ll mentor them as well. He and Javi have become spokespeople for the Tehama County Mentoring Program on campus, as well as familiar faces on program brochures and billboards. The attention is well deserved for, as Javi puts it, “He always works hard. He’s someone I can look up to.”