MENTOR SPOTLIGHT: Ellyn Julius
Ellyn has been a mentor with BCYMP since August 2017. Previously, she was involved in Big-Brothers Big-Sisters, a mentoring program similar to BCYMP. When she moved to Brookings she knew she wanted to continue mentoring and applied to BCYMP. Ellyn mentors because she knows she makes a positive difference in her mentee’s life. She explains, “It’s almost instant. Sometimes when I pick her up, she’s in a bad mood, but by the end of our time together, she’s a lot happier. I see that right in front of my eyes, and I know I’m doing good.” Ellyn and her mentee have had many fun experiences together. They often visit the Brookings Humane Society, bake cookies, and watch movies together. Another tradition they’ve established is picking out books for one another to read. Ellyn recalls, “One time, I picked out a John Green book for her, and she said, ‘I don’t like John Green’ but that was the one I picked so she had to read it. When we got together to discuss again she told me, ‘You were right, I loved it. I’m glad you made me read it.’” Experiences like these, Ellyn says, make mentoring worthwhile. To those considering mentoring, Ellyn highly encourages it. “I wish I would’ve done it sooner,” she told us.