Support Youth Mentoring in Vermont! (Meet Jack and Karl)

Make a Donation to Support Youth Mentoring in Vermont!

Dear Reader,

Who were some of the mentors you had in your life? What caring adults helped you become the person you are today?

When Jack moved to Plainfield, he was a quiet 3rd grader entering a K-12 one building school in rural Vermont with just over 300 students. In 6th grade, Jack was matched with his mentor Karl, through the Twinfield Together Mentoring Program.

“Karl has made my life better because I had someone I could do stuff with. Hanging out with him made me more comfortable talking with other people and making new friends.”

One of the things Karl and Jack share is a passion for music. Karl has brought Jack to house concerts he hosts and introduced Jack to visiting musicians from around the world. This past summer, Karl helped Jack attend a three-day camp at the Berklee College of Music in Boston featuring instruction from a world-renowned bassist whom Jack idolized—the experience for Jack, his first time in Boston and attending an overnight camp, was, in his words,“life-changing.”

Understanding the power of mentoring, Jack has now helped launch a peer mentoring program at his school and became a mentor for a younger student. “Partly because of Karl, I thought I’d give it a try and see what it was like,” says Jack. “We’ll do things like bike behind the school like Karl and I would do when I was that age.”

As a senior in high school, with Karl’s support, Jack is looking ahead at his career path. “I’ve decided I want to be a farmer. I used to want to farm when I was little, and now I have the opportunity to raise sheep at a local farm.”

Whether Jack becomes a life-long farmer, a professional musician, or pursues another profession altogether, he knows he’ll always have Karl’s support. “If it’s something Jack wants to do, I want to be someone who can give guidance and help him,” says Karl.

Supportive mentoring relationships help young people to grow and develop into thriving, productive, and engaged adults. MENTOR Vermont works to ensure that mentoring programs across the state have the funding, support, and resources necessary to foster these life-changing relationships.

We cannot do this important work without your help. Please consider making a donation to support MENTOR Vermont, because every young person can benefit from having a mentor like Karl in their life.

Make a Donation to Support Youth Mentoring in Vermont!

Sincerely,

Chad Butt
Executive Director

Nate Formalarie
Chair, Board of Directors