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MENTORS WITH THE
IMMOKALEE FOUNDATION
LINK STUDENTS WITH LARGER WORLD
by Steven Kissinger
J anuary is National Mentorship Month, and
there’s plenty of cause for celebration at
The Immokalee Foundation: Mentorship
is an integral component of the organization’s
educational programs.
The adult mentors who work with Immokalee
High School students provide caring, trusted
links to the world beyond the young students’
daily experiences. “Many of these students don’t
have the luxury of going out of town,” said Noemi
Perez, TIF’s program services director. “For the
most part, they attend school, go home, and
many of them work. Mentors provide a different
aspect. While they talk to the students about real
life responsibilities – the importance of getting
good grades, how to manage time effectively – the
students really benefit from talking to someone
about the larger world.”
Those topics of conversation even can be
unrelated to school. “When our students are
matched up with someone with a similar interest,
whether sports or a career choice or something
else, it is an enriching, enlightening experience,”
said Marcia Bonilla, TIF’s student services
coordinator for Take Stock in Children. “And this
becomes someone the students can rely on. It’s a
beautiful thing.”
OSBALDO VASQUEZ JR. AND JOSEPH SCIORTINO with me, I feel I am important in his life,” said Sciortino. “The significant part is that
Joseph Sciortino has been a mentor for The
Immokalee Foundation for two years. He spoke
at a recent TIF event, sharing what he believes
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makes a good JOSE HERNANDEZ AND JOSEPH SCIORTINO
mentor. “What
I have found
is that being a
mentor is not so
much a function
of the brain as
it is a function
of the heart,” he
said. “If you are a
caring, committed
and passionate
individual, you
have all the
ingredients for being a successful mentor.”
It’s the same message conveyed by the late poet Maya Angelou, who was a
supporter of National Mentorship Month, now entering its 15th year. “You must
care,” she said. “You don’t have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you
don’t need to know what is the chemical makeup of chemistry … Know what you
know and care about the person.”
Angelou had a mentor in Mrs. Flowers, the first person to take her to a library.
Actor Martin Sheen had “Father Al,” who reminded him always to ask himself,
“Who are you?” and “Why are you here?” Oprah Winfrey had her fourth-grade
teacher, Mrs. Duncan, who taught her not to fear being smart.
And Jose Hernandez of Immokalee had Sciortino. Hernandez is now a student
at Florida SouthWestern State College, having graduated from Immokalee High
School in May with high honors – and a year of college credit. Those achievements
make Sciortino proud. So does the fact that Hernandez still checks in with him
regularly, and the two meet for lunch sometimes. “The fact that he stays in touch
I’m helping him be successful. He’s a hardworking young man, and he’s had a lot
of obstacles thrown at him. His family doesn’t have any money, and they speak very
little English. But he has set high goals for himself.”
Sciortino is now mentoring Immokalee High School junior Osbaldo Vasquez
through his final years of high school.
The Immokalee Foundation provides a range of education programs that focus
on building pathways to success through college and post-secondary preparation
and support, mentoring and tutoring, opportunities for broadening experiences and
life skills development leading to economic independence.To learn more about TIF,
volunteering as a mentor or for additional information, call 239.430.9122 or visit
www.immokaleefoundation.org.
Steven Kissinger, executive director of The Immokalee Foundation, can be reached at
steven.kissinger@immokaleefoundation.com.
Life in Naples | December 2015