Claire and Lisa
Mentor
Claire is a native New Yorker, hailing from Queens. She studied at Fordham University, where she volunteered for a few years. Citing a love for the city, Claire remained in New York to work for Morgan Stanley. In her years following college, Claire searched for the right opportunity to give back to her community. In looking for a true, but flexible commitment, Claire found iMentor through a friend. She liked that it was something she could become truly invested in, and that it allowed her to connect with high school students while they find their way through the college process. In that spirit, Claire has approached the mentor role with inspiring consistency and enthusiasm.
Mentee
Lisa is a rising senior at Brooklyn International High School. She was born in China and came to New York with her family about 8 years ago. She is very close with her family and friends and travels to China whenever possible. Lisa is a vocal and motivated student at school, and her future plans include teaching or accounting. Next on the radar for Lisa is the SAT and visiting several SUNY and CUNY colleges.
Why iMentor Works for Them
Claire enjoyed connecting with Lisa this year and learning that two people from two different stages in life can talk, connect, and ultimately form a friendship. Claire enjoyed that iMentor allowed her to be a guide and friend to Lisa.
The pair particularly enjoyed meeting at iMentor events, including the widespread favorite: Ice Skating! Laughing over their collective ice skating abilities, Lisa and Claire enjoyed getting the chance to catch up. The combination of a fun activity and one-on-one time really made it a memorable event for this pair.
About Their Match
Lisa and Claire were matched in October of 2008. They connected quickly through email about music and politics. Though they began as relative strangers, the pair was happy to find it didn’t take long for them to feel comfortable with each other. Lisa was soon updating Claire regularly on her life, friends and family.
Impact of Their Match
During one of the last iMentor sessions, Lisa spoke very warmly about her match with Claire. She remarked that their visits to the Drop-In Center were the most impactful for her. She had so much fun simply talking with Claire that she didn’t want to leave the Drop-In Center at the end of the night. These visits helped Lisa to improve her confidence in spoken English. Lisa also mentioned that Claire made her feel valued by listening to her, and that was a lesson that would stay with her.
Claire feels similarly about her growing match with Lisa and is happy to have bonded so easily with her. She hopes to be a consistent guide to Lisa over the next year and beyond.
