Sophia student Arianna met her mentor Natasha Liriano at the end of her fifth grade year at Sophia Academy. Now in seventh grade, Arianna and Natasha look forward to their weekly meetings that often involve a competitive game of Uno. Nearly half of Sophia Academy students have mentors as of February 2022, and the program is growing! Here’s what Arianna and Natasha had to say about their relationship:
Arianna, what does having a mentor mean to you?
Having a mentor means a lot to me; I can come to her whenever I don’t want to talk to my family about stuff or just talk about my life in general. She helps me break out of my shell because I’m not used to meeting new people. She has helped me so much with my social anxiety.
What have you learned or gained from having a mentor?
I have learned a lot with my mentor. She encouraged me to do better in school and speak my mind when I want and need to.
Natasha, why be a mentor? Why do you prioritize taking time each week to come to Sophia to meet with Arianna?
I decided to become a mentor because I remembered how helpful it was for me to have somebody to simply talk to and not feel like you have to hold back. Being able to relate to my mentee was a plus, but each week we meet it amazes me at how much we have both grown. We began our bond 2 years ago and can't believe she will be going into 8th grade next year. She has truly become one of my best friends, we share personal achievements together. We celebrate the small and big wins we both achieve. We also push each other to overcome things we struggle with. Mine is accountability for things such as exercising. I tell her to hold me accountable to providing an update at our next meeting and I will hold her accountable for a different goal - It can be academics or it can be doing something she's been wanting to but pushing off.
I prioritize my time with my mentee every week because it's the best part of my week. It helps me check in with her; she checks in with me and she helps push me to reach my goals. We laugh and beat each other in Uno. It's the best time! Sometimes we get caught up and lose track of time. If I can't make it in person, I try to coordinate virtual meetings so I don't lose any time with her.
Have there been any moments of growth or learning for you through your mentor/mentee relationship? Any surprises?
In the beginning, Arianna was pretty shy. Slowly, I started opening up to her about my siblings and my struggles and just laughing more with her. This helped her open up to me, and openly talk with me about classes she may be struggling with or even talk about long term goals. I knew we hit a turning point in our relationship when she was honest and open about her opinion on equality. I loved when we talked about this because there was a certain tone in which she expressed herself in which I loved; she found her voice and it fuels her. Being able to change and make an impact is very big for her, as it is for me. While she may be shy at times, she has so much to offer and she is slowly working towards stepping out of her comfort zone. I love watching her grow into these spaces.