Building Lifelong Relationships through Mentorship

When I joined the Youth In Transition team, my role was to interact with unmatched youth. That’s when I met Samantha.

I told her that I would meet with her twice a month. At the time, Samantha was a high school student, dual enrolled, living in her own apartment and working. She would walk to work. Winter arrived and she needed rides. Our twice-a-month visits turned into almost daily visits.

Samantha created a goal of using Youth In Transition (YIT) funding to buy her own car. She had the money saved and we searched for the perfect car and went through the buying process. She then got matched with her mentor and our meetings slowly dwindled.

Samantha graduated from high school and moved on to college. She got a job at a funeral home and decided that’s where she belonged. She’s now working to get into mortician school.

I still check in with her and offer events and such but busy girls, do busy girl things. When YIT was up for I Make a Difference, I reflected on all of these amazing youth and thought of Samantha.

In December, Samantha made it to our YIT Christmas event, She is so strong, beautiful and healthy today, interacting with not only just me, but other youth and staff as well. This youth knows, that no matter what, even with a lapse in contact, YIT is by her side.