Cameron was in third grade this year. He really struggled in class – with focusing and following directions. When his mentor, Amy, came to his school every Thursday, he would run ahead of her to the cafeteria, leaving her to walk the hallway alone. He would quickly grab his lunch and race to the library, again leaving her to catch up. Once they sat down in the library, he would rush through his lunch and throw it in the trash, eager to go outside. Amy frequently followed along behind. She would often wonder if Cameron wanted her there at all.
About halfway through the school year, Amy began to notice that Cameron stopped running through the hall. Each week, it seemed that he began slowing down a bit more. In the spring, he would walk alongside her, matching her pace as they went outside to play. By the end of the year, Cameron would immediately leave his classroom, hug his mentor, and walk down the hallway together, each joking with one another the entire way to the cafeteria.
This may seem small; however, this is what a mentoring relationship can often feel like. Two people who start off at different paces but end up walking together throughout the journey.