New Mentorship Program at Maine East High School

By Olivia Edwards, 1st year SC at Maine East High School

Last year, the Schuler Scholar Program at Maine East High School implemented a pilot program in mentorship by pairing freshman Scholar Mariam Kane with sophomore Scholar Mya Pierson. This year, Maine East has expanded the mentorship program. Each member of the freshman class is paired with someone in the sophomore class. “At Schuler, we think it’s very valuable for Scholars to create relationships across the classes. The mentorship program is an opportunity for the freshmen to relate to someone who has gone through the same thing they are going through, and for the sophomores to learn leadership skills,” says Scholar Coach Maren Magill, who coordinates the mentorship program. Here is what Mya and Mariam have to say about their experience:

            "As a pilot for the mentor program at the Schuler Scholar Program, I’d like to start off by summing up my experience in one word, which is fantastic! I got to have one on one time with a freshman Scholar named Mariam. Most meetings were planned around our busy schedules, and entailed small activities to get to know each other better. Whether it was playing 20 questions with Mariam, or going on a mini exposure, we created a bond. We’d usually start off by discussing how we felt our day or week went, where there was room for improvement, and then chat a little about anything else. I learned how to give someone advice and most of all, how to grow with someone. The goal of being a mentor is to become a trusted advisor, and in this process I met that goal, and I acquired a new friend. Friendship is an everlasting bond, which I’m glad to have created with Mariam."

-Mya Pierson '18

           "Being a Schuler mentee was one of the best experiences of my freshman year. My relationship with my mentor Mya meant a lot to me because I was not that close with the rest of the Schuler Scholars in my class. Coming from a different middle school made me feel different from the others and hampered me from making new friendships. Having a mentor within Schuler allowed me to have someone to relate to when it came to my struggles, worries, and excitements during that year. There were some days I had with Mya that were extravagant. For instance, one day we went to Chicago to have brunch, and later that day we went to the Chicago History Museum. But there were some days when we just relaxed and talked about our week. My experience with Mya definitely encourages me to build a friendship with my mentees because although Mya was assigned to be my mentor, we became friends by choice."

-         -Mariam Kane '19