Mentoring has power to change many lives
January 31, 2007, The Ann Arbor News (Michigan)

Tad Wysor takes mentoring to an extraordinary level. The 51-year-old engineer, who works at the Environmental Protection Agency labs in Ann Arbor, started working with a teenage boy through a local program called The Village Initiative. Soon after Wysor started mentoring, the boy got in trouble and was sent to a correctional facility 100 miles away.

That might have dissuaded other people, but not Wysor. One Saturday each month, Wysor drives to visit the boy - and takes several of the boy's family members with him.

This kind of mentoring is a powerful thing. And if you have time in your life for even a fraction of the commitment that Wysor makes, you'll be making a very real change in someone's life.

January is National Mentoring Month, a time to reflect on what you might be able to contribute. Time, in fact, is often the biggest obstacle for potential mentors, according to Dan Mulhern.

Mulhern, the husband of Gov. Jennifer Granholm, leads Mentor Michigan, a statewide effort to promote mentoring. He was in the area last week to speak at the Washtenaw Celebrates Mentoring event, held at Eastern Michigan University.

Mulhern has been a mentor himself for several years, and believes that mentors - whether they're parents or older siblings, teachers, coaches or other adults - can play a powerful role in a young person's life.

According to Child Trends Research, young people who are mentored are 46 percent less likely to start using drugs, compared to peers who aren't mentored. Boys are especially in need, Mulhern says, in part because there are far fewer men involved in mentoring. In southeast Michigan, only 35 percent of mentors in organized programs are men, according to a recent study by Kahle Research Solutions.

Consistent, long-term commitment - providing a stable adult influence in a young person's life - is crucial, Mulhern says.

Locally, there are nearly two dozen groups that help connect adults with kids who need mentors. The groups - from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program to the Education Project for Homeless Youth, among others - partnered last year to form the Washtenaw Youth Mentoring Coalition, online at www.washtenawmentoring.org.

Whether you sign up with a formal program or simply take the time to help someone you know who needs an extra hand in life, being a mentor can be a transformative experience - for both of you.