Colton and I are in our 4th year as TeamMates. Over the years, we have done a variety of things. Our weekly meetings have evolved from making slime and doing arts/crafts projects to playing board games. One year, Colton’s schedule was tight, so we met during lunch period each week and just talked while we ate. When we are playing board games we talk about school, hobbies, friends, and other topics of interest. Colton has invited me to attend concerts and events he was participating in for school. We were both disappointed when our weekly meetings came to an abrupt halt because of the pandemic but we quickly caught up when the new school year started. Colton and I meet in person at school but did need to use the online meeting option before Christmas when I went to Indiana to visit my son and his family. At that time, we both appreciated having the ability to talk, even when we couldn’t meet in person. It allowed for the consistency that is so important in maintaining the mentor-mentee relationship.
As a TeamMates mentor, it has been my privilege to watch Colton grow and change over the past 3 ½ years. Being a TeamMates mentor has given me the opportunity to listen, learn, and build a trusting connection with my mentee.
Paula Wiese
