What Shea and I Have Learned

Greetings Everyone,

I would like to take this time to tell you what Shea and I have learned during our year together. Sadly, she had moved to Prescott with her mother, so for 2015 I will be with a new youth. Some of the things that Shea wanted to improve was the relationship with her mothers boyfriend, her grades, and how she communicated with her mom. I was not afraid to let Shea know that I had no clue how it feels to have another person in my life besides my father, so this was a learning experience for the both of us. There were so many instances where she struggled with their relationship; however, she they both learned how to communicate with one another without striking any nerves. This was a wonderful milestone, but she is still learning how to manage this relationship. Before she left, she explained that she did very well on her end of school exams. I was extremely proud of her for accomplishing this, as I understand the pressures of standardized tests. I'm hoping that her new school will have more resources for after school activities, and I hope that she finally gets to try out for softball. Lastly, Shea would be the first to admit that she can be sarcastic from time to time, but she has toned it down with her mom. She has truly improved on her goals, and I am so proud of her!

As for myself, I wanted to improve my articulation when explaining things, become a better listener, and conquer a fear. Thus far, my articulation still needs a little bit of work. I did not realize how hard it is to explain things in basic terms until I was paired with a pre-teen! I have improved a little, but I think that more exposure will aid my transformation. I feel like I became a better listener. One thing that I worked on was taking "but" out of my vocabulary. If Shea came to me with a course of action that was outrageous (in my eyes), it was instinctive to say "well you can do that, but...". Instead, I changed my vocabulary to "and": "well you can do that, and these may be the consequences of doing that". I tried to listen more than lecturing, and I think that I have improved my outlook on mentoring in general. Lastly, for those of you who know me, you know that I am dreadfully afraid of heights. Shea and I climbed to the very top of camelback mountain, and that was a very proud moment for the both of us. Although, I am still terrified of heights, I know that I am capable of facing my fears. So, I count this one as a small victory.

Until Next Time!