Mentor, Dee Ptak, shares a little about her match with Mentee, Sunny Gray.
Sunny Gray’s Mentor Shares
Q: What are your thoughts about mentoring?
Dee Ptak: In my experience it is not always easy to see if you are making an impact – or not.
Mentors may never know the whole impact they make on the students. It is important to be patient, keep gently reaching out, even to just touch base and let them know you are thinking of them.
Trust does not happen overnight. It takes time, sometimes a very long time. I tried to be available, willing to listen, suspend judgement and try to help her see the potential I saw in her that she did
not always see in herself.
I can without a doubt say that Sunny and I have a wonderful relationship and it was two or three years before we ever met face-to-face. She calls me mom, asked me to serve as Mother of the Bride at her wedding (the honor of a lifetime) and I refer to her as my foster daughter. She is and will always remain a member of my family. She is an amazing young woman and will go far. Sunny is an amazing success and a credit to this program.
They are brighter and stronger – together.