Will I have the same mentee next year?

This is a question mentors ask us often at this time of year. The answer is absolutely! We do our best to keep matches together, as long as all parties wish to continue meeting. Even if a mentee moves to a new school, whether in the same or a surrounding district, Seedling is willing to support the match. Typically, mentees do opt to resume meeting with their mentors in the following school year. As a mentor, you can expect communication from your Mentor Director in the first few weeks of the school year to confirm your desire to continue mentoring. From there, your Mentor Director will confirm the enrollment status of your mentee. If your mentee has changed schools, we offer both parties the opportunity to reconnect at the new school if feasible. This decision is left up to the match, the Mentor Director will facilitate the reconnection along with the campus School Contact or Helper.

What happens if I have some life changes over the summer?

If you have big changes (like a move to another town or a job/career change) that will impact your location or ability to mentor, please reach out to the Seedling office and let us know. Having this information on hand when we are working on reuniting mentoring matches in the fall will save us a tremendous amount of time and help us move forward to the appropriate next step in the most efficient manner for all parties. Remember, your mentee could experience a move as well, so it’s possible that you could move to a different part of town and your mentee also relocates to a school that is still within a manageable distance for your work schedule.

If my mentee’s parent is released from jail/prison over the summer, will we still be able to meet?

Absolutely! Seedling recognizes that family dynamics are significantly impacted not only when a parent/parent figure is first incarcerated, but also upon their release and reintegration into the family and home. As a result, we do not limit mentoring matches to the time of incarceration. As a general rule, once Seedling makes a mentoring match, we will support that match as long as all parties wish to remain matched and are able to continue meeting at school.

If you have any other questions about any changes to your circumstances that may affect your mentoring match, please contact your Mentor Director. They will be happy to clarify any questions or concerns you may have.