CHAMPS Mentoring

John was a 7^th grader when he received a mentor from the CHAMPS Mentoring Program.  The first day of mentoring it was already obvious that John needed attention and would try to get it even if it meant getting into trouble.  He bragged about not being afraid to jump off of a cliff that many people were scared of.  The mentor replied to John’s story by telling one of his own.  He stated that there was a hornet’s nest in the woods near his house, and he has thought of cutting it down for a long time, but has yet to do it because there still may be hornets in it.  “I guess you can call me chicken, but I don’t want to get stung.”  Without preaching to him, the mentor was saying it is better to think before you act, even if it means being called a “chicken.”  You can be a big adult and still be afraid of things, and there is nothing wrong with that.  While the mentor was doing a great job, change does take time!  John had 71 referrals to the principal’s office the first year he was in the program, by the second year he was down to 42, and was down to 4 referrals to the office the next year.  John has made great progress, and enjoys every moment he spends with his mentor.

CHAMPS Out-of-School

When Kelly started attending CHAMPS Out-of-School and GED Programs she was lacking self-confidence and didn’t see much in her future.  She thought it would be a good way to get out of the house and away from her controlling husband.  He wouldn’t let her get a job or leave the house for any reason.  She was a young mom and was expected to stay at home with her son.  As time went on Kelly started to open up more and more about her marriage, and about how she was not allowed to have dreams because her husband wouldn’t let her pursue them.  The CHAMPS Out-of-School Program helped her see that she is able to dream, and is able to reach her dreams if that is what she wants to do.  It also helped her learn how to communicate better with her husband so that he might understand what she was feeling.  Kelly worked really hard on her GED and with the help of the GED instructor, began making progress.  Over a year of hard work on GED preparation was finally ready to pay off, it was time for her to take the test.  When Kelly received her scores from the testing she found that she had not passed the essay section, but she didn’t give up.  She took the test again, and again did not pass the essay.  Kelly’s self-esteem was obviously getting lower, and she had nearly given up on getting her GED.  After getting help from the GED instructor, and from the CHAMPS Out-of-School Program she passed it!  Now she has proven herself to not only her husband, but also to herself.  She knows she can control her future.  Kelly got a job not even a month after she got her GED, and is planning on continuing her education to become either a nurse or a counselor.