Senior reaps benefits of her TeamMate

COLUMBUS -- Sam Mueller was struggling in her classes.

The girl, who was described as reserved, had troubling keeping her grades up.

When she was in sixth grade at Platte Center Elementary School, her principal suggested her for the mentoring program TeamMates. Mueller was paired with mentor Sherry Miller, a retired paraeducator.

The two met once a week at school, working on Mueller’s studies, playing games and just talking.

Now, six years later, Mueller is a senior at Lakeview High School, and the relationship is still going strong. Both say they can see the benefits of the partnership.

Mueller’s grades have gone up, and she is more confident in herself.

“She just had to know she is a smart girl and that she can do it,” Mueller said.

Hundreds of boys and girls like Mueller have been helped through local mentoring programs such as TeamMates. January is National Mentoring Month when organizations that match adult mentors with youths are noted.

“Mentoring is extremely important and vital to any community. Over the past years that TeamMates has been in Columbus, more and more businesses are seeing the value of this community program by allowing their employees to get involved. The youth today face a lot of challenges and mentoring keeps them headed in the right direction,” said Tricia Faust, executive director of TeamMates in Columbus.

The TeamMates program has about 90 mentor/mentee matches. The program is in Columbus Middle School, Columbus High School, Shell Creek, Lakeview, St. Isidore, Scotus and Christ Lutheran. Through the program, a mentor and a student meet at school once a week.

The benefits to a young person who has a mentor can include improvements at school and at home.

Roxanne McCright, executive director of Big Pals-Little Pals, said the positive effects of a mentor can lead to a productive adulthood for the youth.

“All young people have the potential to succeed in life and contribute to society. But, nearly half of our youths live in situations that put them at risk of not living up to their potential. Caring adults serving as mentors have proved to be a powerful tool for helping young people fulfill their potential. It is important for youths to have good role models and friends that they can talk to and confide in,” McCright said.

The Big Pals program is for children age 6-19 and are from single-parent homes. They are paired with a mentor who serves as an adult friend and role model. The program currently has 52 matches with 20 children on the waiting list.

Darla Neemeyer, executive director of Youth for Christ-Columbus, said a mentor is a positive adult figure in a youth’s life. They aren’t meant to replace a parent, but rather work along side them and be an additional person who can listen and care for the youth.

Mentors are needed in all the programs offered through Youth for Christ, which is an interdenominational organization targeting youth ages 11-19. Qualities for a mentor include being compassionate for young people.

“We say we want them to have a heart for the Lord. They have to be willing to listen. They (the youth) don’t care what you know until they know you care. I know that is a clich�© saying, but it’s true. It validates them as a human being,” Neemeyer said.

There will be more opportunities to learn about mentoring organizations next week. Representatives from TeamMates and Big Pals-Little Pals will be handing out information at the Columbus Family YMCA from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday. They also will be at Wendy’s from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday.

A portion of the sales from that time will be donated to the organizations. The organizations will also be represented and available to talk to employees at BD East from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday.

Mentoring opportunities are also listed at the Connect Columbus Volunteer Center Web site at www.volunteercolumbus.org.

For more information about the organizations, call TeamMates at 564-6248, Big Pals-Little Pals at 563-1081, and Youth for Christ at 564-3700.