Mentor
Celebration Attended
by 1,000 Mentors and Students
February 14, 2005
For Sandi Gibson, Thomas Elementary School office manager, mentoring
students in the school’s T.E.A.M.S. (Together Everyone Achieves
More Success) program is a family affair.
 She
and her mother Almetta McQuarters and son Daniel (pictured
with students) celebrated their shared commitment to
children when they joined nearly 1,000 mentors, mentor
coordinators, students and educators at Plano ISD’s Mentor Celebration, “Pieces
of Time, ” on
February 3 at Plano Centre.
Emceed by Centennial Elementary School Principal
Jason Myatt, the evening
included inspiring testimonials from students and mentors.
Ashley Taylor, student at Thomas Elementary, said Mentor Sandi Gibson
talks to her and helps her with problems. “She sees my progress
reports and lets me invite friends to her office...She’s funny
and helpful." Sigler Elementary School Student Elizabeth
Owens said that her mentor built up her confidence
enough to try out for and make the school’s
broadcast TV team.
 “I
am here today because I made a decision to make a change
in my life,” said
Shepton High School Student Martin “Pancho” Martinez. “The
change was from the possibility of me becoming a dropout and jailbird to now
being an A-B student on my way to college.” He credited Larry Sweeney,
teacher/mentor for seeing the best in him. “Mentors, you are the ones
that have to help us change. Not into what you want us to be, but into what
you know
we can become,” he said.
Hedgcoxe
Elementary School Counselor Derenda Saleh witnesses daily the benefits
of mentors taking an active interest in students. “Mentoring is a
true community approach to helping our students with their personal and
academic development.
The students’ attitudes and resiliency improve.”
Clark High School PAL (Peer Assistance
and Leadership) students are pictured at the celebration
with their student mentees from Christie and Hedgcoxe
elementary schools.
Daniel Ramirez,
Williams High School mentor program coordinator, sees something
he appreciates. “Mentors
put a smile on the kids’ faces...They make their day,” he
said.
Guests at the district celebration enjoyed entertainment by the
Bowman
Middle School
Band, under the direction of Adam Powell, and viewed a mentor video
produced by Steve Turner, TV Studio assistant. Bringing greetings
were Mary Beth
King, school board president, who mentors students at Bowman, Williams
and Plano
Senior High, and Danny Modisette, deputy superintendent.
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