By: Shanelle Mitchell, Literacy Program Manager

When I was asked to write a blog about our mentors here at Center for Success Network, one word came to mind: dedicated.

Since becoming part of CFSN, I have been able to witness the powerful impact that our community members have on our young learners. CFSN wouldn’t be where we are today without the dedication of our mentors who show up to support our students. Whether it be in person at our Detroit and Pontiac hubs, or online at one of our Brilliant Detroit virtual mentoring sites. The dedication it takes to show up for our learners, even with the challenges that may present in their personal lives, says a lot about the commitment and consistency our mentors have provided to our program.

While spending some time at our Pontiac Hub in December, I was able to check in with a few students and observe some hands-on activities amongst our learners and their mentors as we prepared for holiday break. Even though students will only be out of programming for a few weeks, some students became emotional when they realized they would have a break from their mentors. Watching students become emotional about the break, showed me in real time how impactful mentors can be on our everyday lives.

Mentoring at CFSN is valuable because it fosters personal growth in the areas of academic achievement and social emotional learning. Through mentoring, I am able to witness students navigate through challenges, enhance prior literacy skills and gain the confidence they need to develop a love for reading. I am also able to watch our mentors gain leadership skills, exposure to diverse perspectives and ultimately finding joy in our shared goal of ensuring our students feel connected and part of their learning experience.

With Mentor Appreciation Month in January, there is a lot I want to thank our mentors for as we head into the new year. First, our work here at CFSN, wouldn’t be as effective or rewarding with you. I want you to know that every time you log in on zoom, or step foot into our hubs, we feel you. Second, your acceptance to be part of courageous conversations that center around race, equity and inclusion which is necessary to establishing a safe space for our learners. I know at times this may be difficult to talk about, but we hear you and appreciate you for doing what’s best for our students. Lastly, your dedication to ensuring our values of Connection, Community, Growth and Diversity are implemented in your work. Our values provide a foundation for who we are and the communities we serve.

We are continuously looking for compassionate individuals who want to join our journey to uniting literacy. If you wish to become a mentor, there’s no other place to do it than here at Center for Success Network. As a way to highlight National Mentor Month, please be sure to attend our Mentor Appreciation Happy Hour on Thursday, January 23rd, 2025. If you are interested, feel free to connect with any staff member on our team. We hope to see you there, if not, we will be sure to see you around. Your dedication, commitment and unwavering love for our staff, communities and students will never go unnoticed.

Celebrating Our Mentors for National Mentor Month