Columbia Community Care is proud to partner with groups who are providing caring and purposeful mentorship to young people in our community. Jahlil Jarrett is a mentor with Stepping Towards a New Destiny, and below he shares his thoughts on the power of mentorship for him, and those he mentors.
What compelled you to become a mentor?
What compelled me to be a mentor first would be because of Tigana Duncan being my first mentor. We always looked for ways to be able to repay him for all he has done, and his only wish was that we came back and became mentors for the next generation. I also understand the youth is our future whether people like it or not so if we want to shape the future we have to shape the youth first.
Did you receive mentorship as a young person / what was the impact for you?
Yes, my very first mentor was Tigana Duncan and really my only one around middle school age into high school. The biggest impact for me was the experiences. Even if it was something as small as buying the basketball team pizza and drinks to enjoy together. Every experience opened my eyes to more possibilities in my life.
Do you still have a mentor? How has the mentor relationship changed as you have grown?
I do still have mentors now more than when I was younger. I endeavored a lot of different career paths and met a lot of great people. My mentor relationship now being older is similar and some aspects but different just as much. As an adult you have a lot more responsibilities so they’re more about holding you accountable than trying to get you to see things a better way.
What do you like most about mentoring someone else?
What I like most about mentoring someone is being an outlet for them. It’s no feeling like knowing someone has your back and I want to be that person for others. I also know what it’s like to go through life and get lost. We as humans are a lot more alike than we give credit and we can help each other out tremendously if we just took the chance.
What is the biggest challenge in being a mentor?
The biggest challenge in being a mentor might be the initial barrier between you and your mentees. It’s a rough patch where trust has to be built and established. But once you get past that barrier things are smooth sailing.