FULTON – Participants of SUNY Oswego’s Mentor-Scholars Program have guided several Fulton Junior High School students to a more comfortable place in their lives.
Once a week, the 10 mentors from various college majors worked with 13 seventh grade and eighth grade students to boost their emotional and social skills.
Bridging those skill sets to other components of the students’ lives has been a work in progress that’s fostered an increase in self-esteem, relationship building and overall quality of life.
During a recent end-of-semester celebration for the mentors at FJHS, the junior high school students expressed sadness that they’ll be without the support of their mentors until the start of the spring college semester in late January.
Noah Blake, Mentor-Scholars Team Leader at FJHS, told the young students when the program starts up again there will be much self-reflection and joy to share with the group.
Although the students worked with their mentors on larger group activities, Blake said there will be more of an individual mentor-mentee focus next semester to get to the hearts of the FJHS students.
At the celebration, everyone enjoyed pizza, soda, conversation and crafts, including a collage of where the FJHS students see themselves after middle school.
Janice Scott, resource coordinator of the Fulton Community School initiative, said the growth of the FJHS students has been incredible and she can’t wait to see further progress in the remainder of the 2017-18 school year.
Another benefit of the program, she said, is FJHS students see that college may not be so scary after all.
Any FJHS student interested in enrolling in the program may pick up an application in the school guidance office.
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