Caroline
Kennedy Speaks at Mentoring Program at Loews
By Sarah Ann Mockbee
In celebration of National
Mentoring Month, the New York City Department of Education’s (DOE’s) Mentoring Program
hosted over 600 mentors and mentees at the Loews Cineplex for
an evening of awards, entertainment and networking. The event
was highlighted by a keynote address by Caroline Kennedy, Vice
Chair of the Fund for Public Schools, whose mission is to inspire
belief in our public schools, to increase private sector support
of public education and to encourage widespread participation
in these schools. Kennedy was clearly heartened by the wonderful
turnout of both the youth and their adult counterparts who
have shared the responsibility of maintaining a mentor-mentee
relationship throughout the school year. “When someone
really believes in you, you can achieve your dreams,” she
stated to an enthusiastic and confirming crowd.
Just ask Danielle Freeman, a senior at Frederick Douglass
Academy and the recipient of Mentee of the Year Award. She speaks of her mentor with confidence
and delight. “She and I have connected in so many ways.
During our many conversations, she has been a confidant, self-esteem
booster and, most importantly, a friend. She has showed me
that being there for others should be second nature.” The
feeling is mutual. Her mentor, Phillipa Philpot is a web developer
for Home Box Office and the recipient of the Mentor of the
Year Award. She readily admits that she was nervous to meet
her mentee but was soon put at ease after meeting Freeman.
Now, after over a year of getting to know one another, Philpot
concedes that Freeman has just as much an influence on her
life as she hopes to have over Freeman’s. “She
calms me after a hectic work day. Sometimes I call her the
mentor!”
Freeman and Philpot
have the DOE’s New York City Mentoring
Program to thank for bringing them together. They were paired
in November of Freeman’s junior year, after Philpot received
training and support from the program. The program is in its
21st year and is the largest mentoring program operated by
a school district in the United States. Unlike other mentoring
organizations in the city, the DOE’s program requires
individuals to volunteer through their job or other organizational
affiliation. In other words, partnering organizations like
law firms, financial institutions, and alumni associations
pair with a specific high school. Interested employees are
then screened, trained and matched with a student in the particular
school his or her organization is affiliated with. Lori
Mastromauro, Director of the New York City Mentoring Program
is constantly impressed by the community’s interest in
mentoring. “Over the years, we have trained
thousands of volunteers in the art of mentoring and are so
grateful to them for stepping up to work with our high school
students”, says Mastromauro.
The goal is to allow
students to gain a trusting adult relationship with someone
who can field questions about college applications, career
interests and life in general. After years of experience
overseeing the DOE’s Mentoring Program, Lori Mastromauro
knows that it is important to provide a focus for mentoring
pairs. “We ask mentors to expose students to their jobs, visit
their students at school and most importantly, work with them
on setting and achieving goals.” Mentees spend one hour
a week or two hours every other week visiting their mentor
at his or her office, allowing the mentee to experience a real-world
working environment. The arrangement has been more than ideal
for Raymond Chan, a senior at James Madison High School, and
his mentor Phil DeImus, an employee at the Federal Reserve
Bank. Chan asserts that he wanted to get involved with the
program to “help prepare for college” and thought
this program would be a good way to meet someone who could
answer his questions. DeImus learned about the program through
his employer and wanted to take the opportunity to give back
to the community.
In her closing remarks,
Kennedy reiterated her support for dynamic public programs
such as this one. She acknowledged the critical service that
the New York City Mentoring Program has provided for both
the mentees and the mentors, stating, “This
program helps connect our city and our students in a better
way.”#
Any organization
interested in becoming involved with the DOE’s New
York City Mentoring Program should contact Mentor@nycdoe.net
or visit the Fund for Public Schools website at www.fundforpublicschools.org.
