Positivity Goes a Long Way
After working at the Interfaith Housing Authority for the past semester, I have really seen the impact mentoring can have on these children. Last semester, I worked at the Musterfield ELP program and although we had a similar objective, the children that came were much less consistent so it’s a huge change to see all the same children every single week. This makes it so much easier to make connections with the children and become a more consistent role model in their life. Every Tuesday, I knew what children I would see, what they were doing in school, and I would grow to know and understand their personalities to better interact with them. However, no matter how well you may know them, there may be days when they have a bad day and they do not want to cooperate. One thing I’m taking away from this semester is to always be positive and not be offended if someone gives you attitude. We are supposed to be role models for these kids and if you can make one kid laugh when they are having a bad day, you should be proud. It’s hard to imagine how difficult living in a housing authority and not have a lot of income can be and we should all try out best to help these kids stay positive and hopeful that their economic status won’t define their future. I’m really glad I was able to experience this type of structured program to see how much of an impact it is possible to have on these children and to teach me the importance of consistency and always being positive for these kids for the few hours of the week that we see them.
-Michelle Buslov