Teens have the power to make a difference in their communities and especially in younger people’s lives.

Thanks to programs like the Friends Hi-Teen Mentor Program, sponsored by the Fayette County Board of Education, high school students have the opportunity to volunteer in their community while learning about the responsibilities of working with children. Hi-Teen offers children attending after school programs quality one-on-one time with caring teens who will help them with homework, tutor them in a difficult subject or just spend quality time having fun together.

Thomas Cook of McIntosh High has mentored in the program for two years. Each week when he goes to Kedron Elementary to work with his assigned students, Thomas says he gets as much back from the experience as he gives.

“When I come to mentoring, I see two worlds collide. Here I am, a teenager who has almost forgotten the meaning of recess, with kids ages 5-11 running around, bumping into each other, scraping their knees. As a mentor, you get to be a real kid again, only this time you’re always picked first for kickball, no mater what the skill level. It’s a time when, just as the child, you feel needed and you can do no wrong. The child gains insight without having to grow up and the mentor relives the carefree days of childhood,” Thomas explains.

This year over 200 high school students in Fayette have volunteered to mentor at elementary schools one hour each week. Their caring commitment has made a significant difference in the lives of countless children.

Christine Clark, Kedron’s after school coordinator, says the children’s faces light up when the mentors come into the building. One of Thomas’ students is third grader Nobu Maeda who says he looks forward to the visits.

“He is always nice and makes up games for us to play or reads to me,” he says.

Teens who would like to get involved in the Friends Hi-Teen Mentor Program next year can fill out an application online at www.fcboe.org under the mentoring link. Anyone needing more information should contact Donna Worcester, 770-460-3990, ext. 242.

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