Marcus and Billy
Mentor
Marcus is a recent graduate of Morehouse College. After earning a BA in business administration, he moved to New York to work in investment banking, where his first job was at Lehman Brothers. Like Billy, Marcus has a passion for civic engagement. This passion was instilled in him by his mother, who encouraged him to donate clothes to people in need as a child. Marcus pursued this passion at Morehouse, where he founded a mentoring program. When Lehman Brothers collapsed, Marcus used the opportunity to transition into a career that was aligned with his passion for service. He now works at the Education Equality Project, a nonprofit seeking to eliminate the racial and ethnic achievement gap in public education.
Mentee
Billy is a senior who grew up in the Grand Concourse section of the Bronx. Billy recently learned that he was accepted into Daemen College, a selective liberal arts school in Amherst, New York. He will be the first person in his family to go away to school. A budding filmmaker, Billy has already won awards for his work, and he plans on majoring in communications and psychology. Billy is also very passionate about community service. He regularly donates platelets and has volunteered with Harlem week—an annual celebration of Harlem’s rich cultural history—since 2007. Billy explains why service and volunteerism are important parts of his life: “Growing up, I remember feeling left out because I didn’t have the same opportunities as some of my friends. I want to open opportunities to those who don’t have them.”
Getting Involved
When Marcus moved to New York City, he immediately began searching for a community service outlet. Because mentoring was such an important part of his life, he investigated several mentoring organizations, searching for the opportunity with the most impact. Marcus ultimately signed up for iMentor, because he was impressed by the depth and scope of its programs. He says “iMentor stood out because of its scope and the number of students impacted…I don’t think a parallel program exists.” Marcus was also impressed by caliber of iMentor’s volunteer pool and their commitment to the students in the program, explaining “it’s amazing to find a community where thousands of people are passionate about mentoring.” iMentor’s staff quickly recognized Marcus’s dedication and recruited him for the Young Executive Board (YEB).
Finding a Common Bond
Billy was initially nervous about meeting Marcus. He had never been involved with mentoring before and was not sure that he would have a close relationship with his mentor. Billy recalls “I thought that a mentor was just an advisor, and that we would only talk about school. I didn’t know you could have a personal connection.” As Billy got to know Marcus, he discovered that he could trust and confide in his mentor. The two had a lot in common; they both were involved with service activities and had a passion for giving back to their communities. They began to form a bond, talking about their interests, goals and personal lives. Now, Billy says “Marcus and I are very close. He is not only my advisor but a close friend. He’s an amazing person.”
Turning Passion Into Action
Billy has wanted to become a filmmaker since age four, when he watched Star Wars for the first time. Billy soon realized that he could make videos using his family’s camera, which he says “opened a lot of opportunities for me to express myself.” Billy has continued to pursue this interest throughout his life. He now takes a video editing class as part of an after school program. In 2009, he won the ACT-SO filmmaking/video competition, a contest encouraging academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students. Billy hopes that a career in film will help him gain new experiences and travel the world.
Marcus wanted to help Billy gain more filmmaking experience, also using his talent to make a difference in the community. Marcus explains “I wanted to introduce Billy to the different avenues that people have used to engage the community and change their environments.” Program Coordinator Amy C. suggested that Marcus and Billy work together to make a video about iMentor. Billy and Marcus were excited about the idea. In fall 2009, they took video footage at events, and in spring 2010, Billy started editing the footage into a video that will ultimately be featured on YouTube. Billy is using iMentor’s equipment, editing the video on a computer in the Drop in Center. “Expanding my relationship with Marcus has influenced me to give back to iMentor,” says Billy.
iMentor's Role
iMentor has played a crucial role in helping Billy and Marcus build a strong relationship. Marcus joined iMentor while working 90-100 hours each week. iMentor’s flexible structure enabled Marcus to fit mentoring into his life. “I value the many avenues iMentor offers for getting involved,” explains Marcus, “the emails and events, the video and the YEB. As I got to know the people in the community, I wanted to participate more and play a part in whatever ways I could.” Billy enjoys exchanging emails with Marcus, but his favorite part of iMentor is meeting with his mentor in person. He says “its amazing talking to your mentor face-to-face.”
Learning From Each Other
Through iMentor, Marcus and Billy have learned a lot from each other. Marcus views Billy as a young leader who displays a maturity beyond his years. He says “I admire Billy’s maturity; I am extremely impressed with the level of maturity that Billy has been able to reach at such an early age.” Marcus explains that Billy often gives him advice about his personal life and helped him stay grounded as he was applying to graduate school. Marcus has also supported Billy, working with him on his college essay and helping him perfect his resume. Billy aspires to be like his mentor, explaining “I admire Marcus; I want to have as much intelligence as he does.” Ultimately, Billy’s relationship with Marcus has inspired him to give back to his friends and community in new ways. “Through building a relationship with Marcus,” says Billy, “I have been influenced to give advice to other people. I want to be a mentor someday.”
