REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS.
Mentor program offered at Garland schools
01/30/2003
By BILL LODGE / The Dallas Morning News


It was Tuesday night at the Houston Middle School library, and seventh-grader Chris Johnson was reading from a biography of Jackie Robinson.

"Do you know why Jackie Robinson was important?" asked mentor Brad Greenwald, who made time from his fledgling career as an architect to work with Chris and Ricky Uribe.

"He was the first black person to play in the major leagues," Chris replied without hesitation.

"Not only that," Mr. Greenwald explained. "He was one of the best players ever to play the game – black, white, brown or green. They retired his number from all teams, not just the Dodgers. No one will ever wear 42 again."

Ricky, also a seventh-grader, read a passage that contained the word "loathing."

"Is that like the opposite of respect?" he asked.

"Pretty much," Mr. Greenwald replied.

This is the second year that the Youth Achievement Foundation Inc. – a nonprofit largely funded by Walgreen Co. – has provided mentors to the school.

For 10 weeks each semester, mentors work with students one night a week for two hours.

The program began in San Antonio in 1995. In March 2000, Youth Achievement Foundation mentors first appeared in the Garland district at Williams Elementary School. Some of those first students now attend Houston.

Currently, Houston and Williams are the only schools in the district taking part in the program.

Joseph D. Walker, program director for the Dallas area, said he hopes foundation mentors continue working with the same students.

"We actually want to support these kids all the way through high school and into college," Mr. Walker said. "That's the goal."

Roberta Crisp, a faculty member who tutors English as second language students, serves as the school's liaison with the mentoring program.

"It works," she said. "The students who started out in the program were not very self-assured. They've built themselves into a really good group. They have done much better in their classes. And our goal really is to fine-tune these great kids ... and help them to succeed in life."

"It's cool," Chris said at his table in the library. "The best thing is that it could help me raise up my grades."

"I've learned a lot," Ricky said. "Fractions in math! And I've learned to read more easily."

Of the 23 students participating in the Houston program, five are girls.

"We're having real trouble finding female mentors," Ms. Crisp said. "With more mentors, we would have 50 girls in a heartbeat."

In a classroom, girls were working with their mentors.

Sixth-graders Tiffany Lugo and Amelia Guerra were writing a short story and joking with Rosemary Vega, a lawyer in her first year as a mentor.

"You know what's not in here?" Ms. Vega asked, pointing to Tiffany's paper. "That the two girls got suspended."

"Yeah, for fighting," Tiffany agreed.

"And what did the teachers' lounge smell like?" Ms. Vega asked.

"Books," Amelia immediately replied.

"I enjoy spending time with the kids," Ms. Vega said. "But if they speak Spanish, they have to translate into English immediately."

Both girls said they have enjoyed working with Ms. Vega.

Amelia said she likes science and music and hopes to sing professionally someday.

Tiffany said she hopes to become a doctor, possibly a pediatrician.

Tiffany also said her work with Ms. Vega has convinced her that she wants to work on a high school campus newspaper.

"Because I'm nosy," she said with a grin.

Back in the library, financial planner Lawrence Whaley shared a math book with seventh-graders Dominic Vieyra and Russell Martin.

"I'm relearning geometry," Mr. Whaley admitted. "What kind of triangles are found in that picture?"

"Obtuse," Russell answered correctly.

Dominic, who worked out dozens of math problems on a sheet of paper, said he has been in the program for three years and plans to continue.

Russell, who attends Bussey Middle School, entered the mentoring program when he and Dominic attended Williams Elementary.

Dominic plays French horn for the Houston band, and Russell plays percussion at Bussey. But both said they most enjoy the 20 minutes or so that they spend on athletics during their mentoring sessions.

"The best thing is when we go in the gym and play basketball," Dominic said.

Ellen Mooney, the principal at Williams, said she would recommend program mentors to other schools in the district.

Only 11 students sought mentors in 2000, she said. Attendance at Williams now averages 30.

"I love this program," Ms. Mooney said. "It's absolutely wonderful."

Mr. Walker said anyone interested in becoming a mentor should call 214-514-3640. Or they can e-mail him.

E-mail blodge@dallasnews.com