{"id":21442,"date":"2022-01-20T10:59:16","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T10:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=21442"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:21:06","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:21:06","slug":"to-mentor-is-to-touch-a-life-forever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2022\/01\/20\/to-mentor-is-to-touch-a-life-forever","title":{"rendered":"To mentor is to touch a life forever"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Desirae
Desirae Vega, senior majoring in Educational Studies.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Desirae Vega, a senior at the University of Washington Bothell, first started volunteering at Henry M. Jackson High School to fulfill her degree requirements. Serving as a tutor for the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination), she planned lessons, presentations and activities to help the students get ready for college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What she couldn\u2019t have planned, however, was the meaningful relationships she would form. In the six months Vega worked with the high school students, she became much more than just their tutor. She became their \u201cmentor, role model and friend,\u201d her students said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their words were especially moving for Vega who, for as long as she can remember, has wanted to follow in her mom\u2019s footsteps and become a teacher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was touching to learn what an impact I had on them,\u201d she said. \u201cAs someone in the educational field, that\u2019s exactly what I hope for \u2014 to give students not just knowledge but also confidence, grit or even, a dream.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connected to the classroom <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While many young people complain about school, Desirae Vega only seemed to fall further in love with it as time went on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI spent every day after school in my mom\u2019s classroom, and I loved it. I never wanted to leave. I mean, 20 years later \u2014 and I still don\u2019t. I\u2019m in school as an Educational Studies major and plan on being in the classroom until I retire,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an AVID tutor, she shared this enthusiasm for learning and for college with the students at Jackson High School. \u201cI wanted to inspire them to dream big while also teaching them how to make those dreams a reality,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She connected with the school through UW Bothell\u2019s Community-Based Learning Program. Designed to be a mutually beneficial exchange with community partners, the CBLR program gives students a chance to apply theory to practice, develop professional experience and contribute to the public good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about getting UW Bothell students out in the community and applying what we learn in our classes to the real world,\u201d Vega explained. \u201cAfter all, what\u2019s the point of having knowledge if you don\u2019t use it?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breaking down barriers <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Due to COVID-19 and remote operations, Vega attended the high school\u2019s sessions through video conference. Despite the physical distance, she was able to cultivate a close-knit community. In only a few weeks, the students felt safe to share their thoughts and feelings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey talked to me about their futures: college, careers and other aspirations,\u201d she said. \u201cAs their tutor and mentor, I helped them figure out things they could do each day that would bring them one step closer to their goal, such as registering for the SATS\/ACTS or finding scholarships.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Cardona, one of Vega\u2019s students, testified to how powerful this was for him and his classmates. \u201cI really appreciated that she taught us what to do now, as high school students, to prepare for university,\u201d he said. \u201cCollege can seem overwhelming and far off, but she broke it down to simple tasks we can start doing today which feels much more manageable.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to knowledge, Vega also gave her students confidence. \u201cBefore I met Desirae, I was afraid to talk in class,\u201d said student Leonel Davila Jimenez. \u201cBut she helped me realize my thoughts matter and are worth speaking. She had a really big impact on me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was also true for student Taylor Hedglin, but the reason was different. \u201cI really admired and looked up to her,\u201d Hedglin explained. \u201cShe was a kind, caring mentor who was always there for me and all of my classmates. I was in a time of loneliness from being strictly online and was tired of doing the same thing each day. Desirae and her class made going to a school a little easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy the end of the semester, I could call Desirae a number of things: mentor, tutor, volunteer \u2014 I could even call her my friend.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A mentor\u2019s mission <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vega said giving these teenagers a purpose, and the confidence to pursue it, was the whole point of her mentorship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want them to give up before they even started,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted them to know that it\u2019s good to dream big and that there are people like me who want to help them chase those dreams until they are a reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe greatest obstacle we must overcome to reach success is our own self-doubt,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope that by believing in the students, they start to believe in themselves, too. I may not be their tutor anymore, but I will always be their champion.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Educational Studies major Desirae Vega empowers high school students to dream big while providing them with the knowledge and support to help make their dreams come true. <\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[202,218,200,204],"tags":[],"school":[418],"class_list":["post-21442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-campus-news","category-community-engagement","category-profiles","category-students","school-school-of-educational-studies"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"Contact Us","email":"test@uwb.edu","phone":"(206) 999-1234","box":"Box 358500","address_line_1":"18115 Campus Way NE","address_line_2":"Bothell, WA 98011-8246","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nTo mentor is to touch a life forever - 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