Marc Kelly
What Makes Marc Our Mentor of the Month? Marc is: DEDICATED and MOTIVATING
Marc Kelly knows what it takes to make a difference with his mentee, Rafael.
Since the beginning of his match, Marc has been very enthusiastic about getting to know Rafael by going above and beyond the call of duty. As explained by his Program Coordinator, Cherika Wilson, “Marc, is always ready to help out with whatever it is—whether it’s providing college advice, playing basketball with Rafael and his friends and/ or supporting his mentee at his baseball game. He also strongly advocates for iMentor and is willing to help out with recruiting and participated in this year’s Online Donor Drive.”
In addition to showing his support at iMentor sponsored events and Rafael’s games, Marc continually devotes enough time to write insightful emails ranging from college selection and career advice to complimenting Rafael’s basketball skills. He enjoys being someone that Rafael can count on for personal and academic advice. Marc emphasizes, “When I was going through the process of being a high school senior, I didn’t have anyone there to help me choose schools, teach me what to look for in a college, tell me to keep my GPA up, or write essays. The entire process, I had to figure it out on my own. . . . Overall, I just like feeling that I’m making a difference in someone’s life and having the opportunity to share my experiences and relate it to what someone else may be going through in their struggles for school and help my mentee get prepared.”
As Marc demonstrates, being a mentor is truly being yourself and relating to your mentee on many different levels. And, if you don’t have a lot of relatable experiences at first, “trying to empathize with what he/she may be going through by continuing to be compassionate, committed, and genuine.”
When asked what has been the most rewarding experience with Rafael so far, Marc responded with enthusiasm saying, “The overall experience of [watching] him developing over the past two years -- seeing him get more comfortable with our relationship by confiding in and consulting with me on various issues that have come up in his life. For me, [it was also] being able to participate with him in things that he’s passionate about and seeing how some of the tips and guidance I have given him over the last couple of years has resulted in him being a good leader, teammate, thinking positive, and staying motivated.”
As his mentee, Rafael, exclaimed, “If there were four events a month my mentor would be at all of them!” This is why Marc Kelly has been chosen as June’s Mentor of the Month!
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