I'd known about the Fulfillment Fund for years. It's a terrific organization that matches promising 8th graders with mentors who shepherd that student through senior year in high school. The goal is to get those kids from some of the area's poorest neighborhoods into college.
But that five year commitment scared me. What if I moved? What if my work life got too crazy? Finally, I ran out of "what ifs" and simply picked up the phone to volunteer.
It was the best decision I ever made.
I was matched up with Josefina – or Fina as she calls herself now. She'd been with the program a year and a half, waiting for a mentor to come along. Lots of kids are waiting for mentors. We were matched because Fina wanted to be a journalist – a career goal that lasted until she discovered filmmaking. Of course. This is, L.A., isn't it?
Fina wasn't one of those soft, squishy kids who wanted to hang out at the mall together or go to a Dodger game or go rollerblading on the Venice boardwalk. She didn't want to sit around talking about boys or Paris Hilton or the latest fashions. She was all business. And the business was: what can I do to get into college? So we worked on essays. I sat with her mom at every parent teacher conference. Fina and I even took a road tour to check out colleges from Pomona to Sonoma.
In the end, she chose Cal State Northridge for its terrific film department. She's in the middle of her sophomore year, balancing classes and working in the student café. I'm like a proud parent.
And in a year or two, I'll sign up for a new mentee. But in the meantime, what about you? There's a kid like Fina waiting for a mentor like you, right now.
The Fulfillment Fund's Web site
~ From Kitty in Los Angeles
But that five year commitment scared me. What if I moved? What if my work life got too crazy? Finally, I ran out of "what ifs" and simply picked up the phone to volunteer.
It was the best decision I ever made.
I was matched up with Josefina – or Fina as she calls herself now. She'd been with the program a year and a half, waiting for a mentor to come along. Lots of kids are waiting for mentors. We were matched because Fina wanted to be a journalist – a career goal that lasted until she discovered filmmaking. Of course. This is, L.A., isn't it?
Fina wasn't one of those soft, squishy kids who wanted to hang out at the mall together or go to a Dodger game or go rollerblading on the Venice boardwalk. She didn't want to sit around talking about boys or Paris Hilton or the latest fashions. She was all business. And the business was: what can I do to get into college? So we worked on essays. I sat with her mom at every parent teacher conference. Fina and I even took a road tour to check out colleges from Pomona to Sonoma.
In the end, she chose Cal State Northridge for its terrific film department. She's in the middle of her sophomore year, balancing classes and working in the student café. I'm like a proud parent.
And in a year or two, I'll sign up for a new mentee. But in the meantime, what about you? There's a kid like Fina waiting for a mentor like you, right now.
The Fulfillment Fund's Web site
~ From Kitty in Los Angeles