Erin and Rosa
Mentor
Erin Haley lives in Hoboken, NJ. She is a college graduate and works in midtown in accounting. Rosa is her first mentee with iMentor. Before beginning her relationship with her mentee, Erin said, “I think teenagers are the most interesting people to work with.” Even before her match with Rosa, Erin was aware of the diverse range ofexperiences that she might encounter as a mentor. She expressed that she was ready and willing to help her mentee through these.
Mentee
Rosa D. was born in Sierra Leone, West Africa but now resides in Harlem with her siblings and father. She is a sophomore at the Academy for Social Action. Rosa struggles with writing and speaking English, but is learning more everyday. She describes herself as very shy, and dreams of becoming a dancer.
Why iMentor Works for Them
iMentor’s email and in-person meeting structure has been extremely beneficial for Rosa on two different levels. Academically, Rosa gains valuable experience with writing English to Erin each week. Though she learns English basics at school, Rosa is continuing to learn more practical aspects of English through each email. At iMentor events each month, Rosa gets the opportunity to practice English with her mentor while simultaneously learning more about the college process. On a personal level, the pair’s shared emails have been a valuable experience for both. Though Erin’s career field is not exactly what Rosa had imagined her mentor would be in, they are realizing that they have more in common than they originally thought.
About Their Match
Erin and Rosa were matched in October 2008, at the beginning of Rosa’s sophomore year in high school. Rosa let her PC know that she is very shy, and her only request for her mentor was that she be nice. Shyness led Rosa to miss her first two scheduled meetings with Erin. However, Erin stuck with Rosa, and they have not missed an opportunity to meet since then! Erin and Rosa were matched due to a number of common experiences. At first glance, the differences in their lives seem to stand out more than their commonalities, but their similar experiences outweigh their differences. On their applications both listed “being a new kid at a school” as playing a big role in their lives. While Erin’s experience may not be exactly the same as Rosa’s experience as the “new kid” in a new country, they share similar feelings about this experience overall. Being from a different country, Rosa struggles with English comprehension; meanwhile Erin has had previous experience in dealing with literacy issues. Erin grew up with her mother and Rosa currently lives with her father—their shared experience of coming from a single-parent household has been another way theyconnect. These reasons, among others, led their Program Coordinator to believe their relationship could grow in a way in which they would learn from one another.
Impact of Their Match
Since being matched, Rosa has learned that her mentor, Erin, is indeed nice. Rosa now knows that Erin is there to help her in anything she may need. Since their match is relatively new, the pair is still in the process of learning from each other and opening up about their lives. Thus far, both Rosa and Erin have learned that sometimes the common ground between two people is not always on the surface. Erin has learned that it sometimes takes a little more time to get beyond the shyness of a mentee. Rosa has been able to see that her shyness may not always be the best answer to every situation—and that sometimes it is better to step out from underneath one’s shyness in order to meet someone who is there to support you. They truly exemplify how two people, from seemingly opposite sides of the world, can form a great relationship once they find common ground.
