From Peter

As many of you may not know, I have been involved with iMentor for three years. It has quietly become a very important part of my life, and I'm happy to have the opportunity to share my experience with you. I hope this also shows you how valuable mentoring programs such as this one are to our community, and how your contribution -- no matter how big or small -- is what allows this sort of positive change to continue.

I've been fortunate enough to have been paired with a mentee each of the last three years. Each of them has been different, and each of them has been great. My mentees from the past two years are off to college and doing great things in their lives, and my current mentee is surely on the same path. His name is Charles, and he is originally from Ecuador. His father moved to the New York area four years ago, but it was only last summer when he, his mother, and his siblings were able to be reunited. They came seeking a better life for themselves, and -- with the exception of the freezing New York winter -- they've found just that. Charles is enrolled at the progressive Brooklyn International High School, and while it takes him almost an hour and three different subway trains to get there, he loves being around students from his home country, but more importantly, students from all over the world. BIHS has been involved with iMentor since its inception, and every student I've had the opportunity to meet has told me the same thing that Charles tells me -- iMentor is one of the highlights of their high school curriculum. The program contributes so much to their lives, including the opportunity to practice their English through the weekly email exchanges, the chance to learn about a certain career field at one of the many mentor-mentee career planning nights, and simply knowing that there are twenty-somethings in the NYC area who will take time out of their schedules to become a part of their lives.

This is not to say that it does not offer positives for mentors, too. As busy young professionals living in a city that really does never sleep, we are often pulled in a million different directions. It is hard enough to keep the dishes clean, let alone find the time to become involved in our community. But with iMentor's unique email-based approach, even the busiest person can find the time to send an email and have an impact on a young person's life.

I have had nothing but amazing experiences as a mentor of iMentor, and I wholeheartedly believe that they have created a model for mentoring in the 21st century -- that's why I've taken a further role as an active member of the Young Executive Board. As a part of a smaller subgroup of mentors who are using our contacts and expertise to raise awareness -- and money -- for the program, we hope that our efforts will enable iMentor to have an even greater impact on the youth of New York, the United States, and even the world.

Like almost everything in this world, iMentor costs money. For the 2007-2008 school year, it costs $999 for one mentor-mentee pair. And this year there are 800 pairs. iMentor has been fortunate enough to have corporate support from a number of larger institutions, but it really is the donations from individuals that allows iMentor to continue its mission of providing hope and guidance to New York City's youth. This year I've made my contribution, and I hope that you will be able to make one, too.

Thank you very much from Charles, myself, and everyone at iMentor.