MIGHTY MENTORS
Program a positive force for Hub
One of my favorite things about being mayor is learning about all the ways Bostonians lift each other up. Take Bermina and Maryanne.
Bermina is in the eighth grade at Mother Caroline Academy in Dorchester. Maryanne is a mother of four who works for Blue Cross Blue Shield. At the beginning of this school year, they were introduced through a program that is very close to my heart: the Mayor’s Mentoring Movement.
Their story shows what our Mentoring Movement is all about. Since being matched, Bermina and Maryanne have formed a remarkable bond.
Maryanne attends Bermina’s soccer games and orchestra performances. Bermina plays piano with Maryanne’s son. And together, they took a tour of Berklee College of Music last fall.
Maryanne’s mentorship has helped Bermina build self-confidence, make healthy choices and prepare for the next big step: high school. Maryanne’s presence in Bermina’s life is a simple thing that has had a huge impact.
We launched the Mayor’s Mentoring Movement in February 2015. It all started when President Obama called cities to action through an initiative called My Brother’s Keeper. He challenged mayors to help address persistent opportunity gaps faced by young people of color in our communities.
Boston stepped up to the plate. We joined with Mass Mentoring Partnership to find ways to bring 1,000 more caring adults into the lives of Boston youth. We hit that goal in no time. Today, we’ve recruited 1,400 new mentors. And that number keeps growing.
Growing up, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by mentors. My coaches always pushed me to focus. They congratulated me when we won, and they told me to keep my head up when we didn’t.
And they weren’t the only ones. My mother Mary, taught me to do the right thing and serve my community. My father, John, showed me how to work hard and live my faith. My uncle Pat modeled how to lead.
All of these mentors helped to shape me into the person I am today. To me, though, these people weren’t just grown-ups. They were fixtures in my world. I had never known anything different. If you grew up with mentors, it’s easy to take them for granted. But the fact is, many kids in Boston don’t have support systems like that. We know that when families are stressed by things like poverty, illness or trauma, adults have less time, energy and capacity to mentor. This puts kids at a serious disadvantage. That’s why it’s an issue of equity. And that’s why the mentoring movement is so important to me.
Mentorship is one of the best tools we have to combat the cycle of poverty, equip our youth with vital life skills, and make sure that all kids in Boston have a fighting chance to pursue their dreams. Last night, I joined Maryanne and Bermina at Mass Mentoring’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. We looked back on the thousands of Bostonians who have benefited from meaningful mentorship. And we looked ahead to the future of the movement.
I encourage all Bostonians to consider becoming a mentor. Growing up has never been easy. But kids today deal with challenges that no generation has faced before — from cyberbullying, to the new pressures of substance abuse, to a hostile national political climate.
They are resilient, they are strong and they are achieving things we never would have thought possible a generation ago. But they’ve got a lot on their plate. Mentoring is a way for us to tell them: “Boston’s got your back.”