Dignifying One Another Through Mentoring a mentoring story from Trenton, NJ

By Mentor Chris
No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance
and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once
said. For me, being a mentor with El Centro of Catholic Charities embodies this saying. I
became connected with Catholic Charities through the Bonner Program of Rider University
in 2011. After I graduated, I felt compelled to continue my commitment to service in the city
of Trenton in as many ways as I could. I actively sought ways to volunteer and found the
youth mentoring program to be one of those ways I could continue to invest my time and
talent. I am now a high school special educator for the social studies in a title 1 district where
I have found investing into a childs life to be one of the most beautiful ways I could spend
my time. I love what I do for a living, and I have found the mentoring program to be eye
opening as I continue to invest in our youth outside of the classroom. For me, getting to
know Juan as his mentor has greatly expanded my ever-growing views on the world. Seeing
his life has resonated in my heart as I see my students day in and day out, their lives our
different, yet in many ways the same. Juans life experiences open chapters in a book I have
never read before, but as I turn each page, I am always fascinated and humbled by his story,
and how our lives connect through meals, movies and soccer. Often times, I see our roles
reserved where I continue to grow and learn, I hoped to leave a positive mark on Juan, and
yet he too, has left one on me.

For more information about mentoring in Trenton, contact:

Maria Duarte mduarte@cctrenton.org