The ultimate compliment a mentor can receive from a student is, “I want to be a volunteer mentor like you.” That’s what Calvin says about his mentor.
Clarence Lockett has been a volunteer mentor with Gwinnett County Public Schools’ Community-Based Mentoring program for seven years. Like many of the school district’s adult volunteers, Mr. Lockett got involved when he heard a presentation about the mentoring program at a community meeting.
“After hearing about statistics about the graduation rate from high schools, this moved me to get involved,” he says. “[I grew] in a family with loving parents that never finished high school, but knew and stressed to my siblings and me the importance of education in achieving life goals.”
The district’s Community-Based Mentoring program is one program with three priorities. Launched in 2009 to serve African-American boys with mentors from the community, the program has grown over time to include on-site mentoring services at local schools as well as mentoring services for African-American girls, and most recently, Hispanic boys and girls. The program provides mentoring services to identified students to enhance their social and academic development, resulting in our students becoming successful and responsible young adults.
And Mr. Lockett has made a difference. His mentee Calvin, now in college, has benefited from having a dedicated mentor who offered additional support and guidance to ensure he was on track for success in school and life.
While school counselors, teachers, and family members all play a role in keeping students in school and learning, the involvement of a mentor can make a meaningful difference.
Calvin says, “Mr. Lockett is wise. He is showing me the right routes to take to be successful and has shared some do’s and don’ts in college. This program has opened my eyes to all of the opportunities I can take if I apply myself.”
Both Calvin’s mom and his mentor saw a change in his attitude and academic performance during his final two years of high school. He received a $1,000 scholarship from the mentoring program to continue his education after high school.
Calvin’s mentor also gave him tools to navigate life after high school. “I have learned useful techniques that come in handy for college and the real world,” he says. “One tool in particular that I still use today is proper time management. If I hadn’t learned these skills from my mentor, I would be overwhelmed with the tasks that I have to do each day.”
Calvin currently is a sophomore at Georgia Gwinnett College majoring in cybersecurity. He also works at a Publix Super Market where he is a customer service associate.
“It is amazing what can happen when the mentor, parent, and student are all engaged to work together toward a common goal, when the student grows into a responsible and productive citizen as an adult,” says Mr. Lockett. “The joy and satisfaction received is priceless.”
Our Successful Program
Here are statistics that show the success of our priority serving African-American boys:
880 African-American boys in grades 4–12 served in the program in 2018–19 through one-on-one and small-group mentoring
309 Mentors for this priority in 2018–19
67 Schools served by this priority
34 Graduating seniors for 2018–19
6 Scholarship recipients, each receiving a $1,000 college scholarship from the program
10 Successful years for the Community-Based Mentoring Program, which launched in 2009
91% Mentees passing Language Arts class in 2018–19
84% Mentees passing Mathematics class in 2018–19
79% Mentees passing Science class in 2018–19
83% Mentees passing Social Studies class in 2018–19
How to Get Involved
"Our program is making an impact in students’ lives in many ways. It is pretty powerful when a mentor can introduce a person in a career field that his mentee wants to pursue. One mentor can change a student’s trajectory in school and in life,” says James Rayford, the director of Academic Support who leads GCPS’ African-American Boys Mentoring Priority.
If you are interested in changing a young person’s trajectory in school and life, consider becoming a mentor for the African-American Boys Mentoring Priority, which serves boys across the school district.
To become a mentor in the program, you must be 21 or older, able to commit to a minimum of one year as a mentor, attend a GCPS volunteer mentor training session, and complete a background check and an application. Mentors and their mentees make weekly contact and participate together in one-on-one sessions, group activities, and special events.
Prospective mentors are invited to attend one of these upcoming training sessions:
Thursday, Jan. 30, at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 26, at 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The sessions will be held at the Community-Based Mentoring Program offices at Buice Center, located at 1225 Northbrook Parkway in Suwanee.
Learn more about the mentoring program for African-American boys by going to our website at www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/mentoring, calling Mr. Rayford at 678-301-7321, or by sending an email.