Posted by: Lea_Marie_C_Paar on 05/25/2014 11:16 PM
Updated by: Lea_Marie_C_Paar on 05/27/2014 11:30 PM
Expires: 01/01/2019 12:00 AM
:
Ray Pekarcik honored as May 2014 Mentor of the Month
Valley Springs, Ca...The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program has chosen Valley Springs resident Ray Pekarcik as its Mentor of the Month for May 2014. Ray has been matched with his 16-year-old mentee for just over a year. In that time, Ray says that he has enjoyed watching his mentee grow into a more mature and outgoing young man. “When I first met Ray’s mentee, he told me that he wanted a mentor who was smarter than he is—that he needed a man who could challenge him intellectually,” said Colleen Dolan, Coordinator of Mentoring Programs for the Calaveras County Office of Education...
The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program has chosen Valley Springs resident Ray Pekarcik as its Mentor of the Month for May 2014. Ray has been matched with his 16-year-old mentee for just over a year. In that time, Ray says that he has enjoyed watching his mentee grow into a more mature and outgoing young man.
“When I first met Ray’s mentee, he told me that he wanted a mentor who was smarter than he is—that he needed a man who could challenge him intellectually,” said Colleen Dolan, Coordinator of Mentoring Programs for the Calaveras County Office of Education. “Well, Ray Pekarcik was the perfect match! Not only is Ray incredibly thoughtful in his approach to mentoring, but he never hesitates to ask for help from Mentoring Program staff or other mentors. He is an excellent role model for his young man.”
“Being a mentor has given me a great opportunity to experience new things,” said Ray. “My mentee continues to introduce me to music, books, and movies that I normally wouldn’t encounter on my own. We’ll be driving in the car together and he’ll want me to listen to a new song he found or he’ll tell me about a book he’s reading in school. I genuinely enjoy his company.”
Ray has been a local resident for many years and raised his own three children in Valley Springs.
“My kids are grown and out of the house now,” said Ray, “but I find that my experience as a father has prepared me to be a good mentor, too. The antics of a teenage boy don’t surprise me very much, and my mentee has enjoyed meeting my sons and spending time with my family.”
Ray was inspired to volunteer as a mentor in the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program after he attended a presentation hosted by the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department. Scott Thomas Anderson, the author of Shadow People, shared his experience writing his book about the use of methamphetamines (meth) in local rural areas and the toll that drug use has taken on our communities. “Someone in the audience asked what one person could do to help,” said Ray, “and the sheriff’s officer assisting with the presentation suggested that a great way to support the community was by becoming a mentor and building relationships with local young people.”
In their year together, Ray and his mentee have enjoyed many adventures. Ray earned his teenaged mentee’s respect when they participated in an all-night laser tag marathon. “We drank a lot of Red Bull that night,” said Ray, “but whatever we’re doing together, the best parts are the conversations that we have. He’s a really entertaining guy, and I like watching him think.”
Ray encourages those who may be considering becoming mentors to take the leap. “The training program for new mentors is very thorough. There’s always someone there to answer your questions. I really can’t say enough good things about the program,” said Ray.
The Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program is seeking volunteer mentors for enthusiastic boys and girls. Young people are waiting for mentors in Valley Springs, San Andreas, Angels Camp, Murphys, and Arnold. For more information about the Calaveras Youth Mentoring Program, call Colleen Dolan at (209) 736-6078 or visit the program online at www.calaverasmentoring.org.
|
