Reminders at the End of National Mentoring Month

By Stephanie Lim, Mentoring & Volunteer Programs Coordinator
Photos Courtesy of Stephanie Lim

This past week marked many celebrations. As we wrap up National Mentoring Month at AALEAD, I’m glad to have the opportunity to publicly appreciate our Mentors, whose victories and accomplishments occur in conversations, laughter, and moments of sharing with their mentees.

AALEAD’s Mentor of the Year is… Ha!

Ha T., one of our VA Mentors, was named AALEAD’s Mentor of the Year at the Mentoring Matters Coalition Mentor Appreciation & Recruitment Gala on January 26. Recognizing Ha was a no-brainer, and we submitted the following text:

“Ha has been an AALEAD mentor for almost two years, dedicating herself to supporting her mentee, Christina. Their bond is a joy to witness and their friendship is a testament to their accomplishments as a team. We proudly nominate Ha, who exemplifies the supreme graciousness, commitment, and care a mentor should demonstrate when supporting a young person.”

It was a proud moment to accept Ha’s certificate on her behalf!

This past Saturday, we kicked off our annual Lunar New Year Mentoring Event with four DC mentoring pairs. We started the afternoon at the AALEAD DC office and then headed over to the American Art Museum for their Lunar New Year celebrations.

Jing and Prarthana

Henry and Steve

Yingzhi and Jen

Yuanlong and Alex

Spending the afternoon together reminded me of the strength of the relationships these mentoring pairs have built over the years. Seeing Jing jump into Prarthana’s arms upon meeting, listening to Yingzhi and Yuanlong tell Jen and Alex about their study abroad opportunities, and witnessing Henry and Steve’s obvious rapport – it set an important tone for me. It is the relationships we build with the people we care about that sustains us.

A wonderful group of people!

Reading together, check!

Sharing the same view, check!

Happy Lunar New Year!

While National Mentoring Month comes around once a year, I want to sincerely thank all of our mentors for all of the work they do year-round in being available for the young people who thrive under their guidance. Thank you for reminding me time and time again what a difference this all makes.

Learn more about our Youth Mentoring Program here, and Happy National Mentoring Month!