Overcoming Obstacles: Bridge Mentor Story of Resiliency

Overcoming Obstacles: Bridge Mentor Story of Resiliency

Written by Mission WV Bridge Program Mentor

This year I received a new referral for *Andrew, a high school senior who had not been showing up for school and he was failing all his classes.  On top of this, he was taking several credit recovery courses for classes that he had not passed from the previous semester.  After learning about the status of this student’s education I wasn’t sure if he would graduate, and I felt nervous to meet with him.  As Mentors we have been told that we are not miracle workers, but we shouldn’t count someone out if they are willing to put the work in to turn things around.  As I was trying to determine if Andrew would be a good fit for the Bridge, this echoed in my ear, and something told me to give him a chance.  I scheduled a meeting with Andrew, and I explained the Bridge to him.  Although he was quiet, he still had some motivation left but he would need to work hard to catch up before graduation. 

Andrew’s school counselor and I came up with a plan to help him meet his goal of graduating with his classmates.  I began meeting daily with Andrew, but his attendance was still lacking.  We talked about the importance of coming to school and I worked with his counselor to help keep him on track.  After several weeks of meeting with him regularly, his attendance started to improve.  His work was improving.  He was improving. 

I learned that Andrew loved basketball, so we began to connect over this.  By talking casually with Andrew about sports, he grew more comfortable, and those simple conversations led to more meaningful talks about graduating and his post high school plans. Andrew shared with me that if he could make it to graduation, he would be the first in his family to complete high school.  It hit me just how much this meant to him, and I knew he could earn his diploma with consistent encouragement from someone who believed in him.

With graduation quickly approaching, Andrew and I began to meet for even longer each day to ensure he was where he needed to be.  We continued to have conversations about life after graduation which is when Andrew began to show interest in Job Corps.  He didn’t realize attending a program like Job Corps was something that could even be an option for him.  happens after graduation, like this idea had never occurred to him.  I began to see clearly that his counselor and I were not the only ones who believed in Andrew—he believed in himself, too, even when graduation seemed impossible at times. 

With just two days left before graduation, he persisted and finished his very last credit recovery course!  I couldn’t believe he had made it to the finish line.  I was so proud.  On the day of graduation, I went to work like any other day, I walked into my office, and there stood Andrew, wearing his cap and gown.  He looked me in the eyes, smiled, and simply said, “Today, I’m graduating.”

*Names have been changed to protect student privacy