Becoming a BCYMP Mentor was one of the greatest decisions I have made since coming to college. I am a Senior Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) Student with a minor in Health Science at SDSU. I hope to one day become a School Counselor. I knew I always wanted to work with others, specifically children, in my future career, and this program has allowed me to gain experience working with others. One of my professors in the HDFS program told me about the mentoring program and recommended that I joined it. I will forever be grateful that she did this for me and allowed me to have this experience.
When I applied to become a Brookings County Youth Mentor, I was paired right away with a seven-year-old boy who was shy at first, but who has opened up tremendously since getting to meet with me. He is full of energy, excitement, questions, and loves to play. We have been paired for eight months now and have had so many different experiences together through meeting once a week. As part of BCYMP group event, We took a trip to Sky Zone and an arcade where he could experience a trampoline park and play games all day. We’ve been bowling where we both have learned how to get better at bowling, played at the park, gone to the movies, been to the children’s museum, and learned all kinds of new games. We have both learned so much from each other and we continue to grow with each other every week that we meet. I have been with him through his second grade and now into his third-grade year. We both grew up in much different ways and this has allowed us to learn from each other’s experiences.
The Brookings County Youth Mentor Program (BCYMP) is a great program because it provides mentors with such great opportunities to grow and thrive with their mentees. They provide passes for all kinds of things around the community such as bowling passes, movie tickets, children’s museum passes, local businesses, and so much more. All of these experiences not only allow the. Mentor and Mentee pairs to have fun and have new experiences, but also allows us to get involved with the Brookings community. BCYMP has allowed me to have a way to also be more involved in the Brookings community. There is a tremendous amount of benefits that come along with being a mentor.
Being a Mentor has impacted my life in so many ways. I have learned how to better deal with conflict, both my own and those of my mentees. I have much better time management skills now so I can ensure we have time each week to be with each other. I have also gained so much responsibility because I want to make sure I am always there for him and can provide my best self every time. My time as a BCYMP Mentor has changed my life and I will never forget the time that I have spent with my Mentee. Definitely, becoming a Mentor was one of the best decisions that I have ever made.
Alexander is a BCYMP mentor and SDSU student and can be reached at Alexander.andersen967@jacks.sdstate.edu
If you’re interested in becoming a BCYMP Mentor, the first step will be to fill out our application here:
Please share this link, too, if you’re already a BCYMP Mentor and know others who’d be a great influence on one of the youth on our waiting list! Thank you.
