We're excited to launch a permanent collection of stories for our community to share.
There’s extensive information available about how mentors make a significant difference in the lives of their mentees. However, the mentoring relationship is a two-way street, and serving as a mentor in a peer-led organization can profoundly impact the lives of both the mentor and the mentee.
Young adult mentors — individuals 18 to 25 who provide guidance, support, and encouragement to mentees as they navigate life challenges — play a crucial role in the development and growth of people in a peer-led organization. For young adults, serving as a mentor can be a powerful transformative experience that fosters personal and professional growth.
The benefits of serving as a young adult mentor are numerous and far-reaching. If you're a young adult looking for ways to give back, mentoring can help you build your skill set and grow as a person by helping others who are facing challenges. Continue reading to learn more about why mentoring is such an impactful experience.
If you were fortunate enough to have a mentor, you’re aware that mentors can change a person’s life trajectory. Serving as a mentor is your chance to do that for someone else.
Many of the skills acquired and honed through mentoring are trademarks of a good leader. For example, demonstrating patience with those needing guidance and support and helping people find the best path forward are valuable skills for any life application.
Mentoring provides a unique opportunity to step outside your usual circle of friends to understand how the world looks through someone else’s eyes. New perspectives can open your mind to fresh ideas, and new opportunities.
Working one-on-one with a mentee requires that you sharpen your emotional radar. Part of the mentor experience includes responding with empathy when your mentee is faced with emotional challenges. Emotional intelligence can bolster your personal relationships and set you apart professionally.
Few things are as rewarding as knowing that you’re making a difference in someone’s life. Mentors gain a sense of fulfillment and purpose by helping others and making a positive impact on their lives, leading to increased self-esteem and a greater sense of satisfaction with their life.
The impact of serving as a young adult mentor in a peer-lead organization is not limited to the individual level. Peer-lead organizations benefit too, by receiving a valuable resource in the form of dedicated and motivated young adult mentors. The mentors bring new skills, perspectives, and energy to the organization, which can help an organization expand its reach and impact.
Transformational mentorship is an integral part of the Kesem program model. Each year, more than 4,000 college student leaders across the country, from diverse identities and backgrounds, receive extensive interpersonal skill development and training to help kids manage the stress of a parent diagnosed with cancer at Camp Kesem and through dynamic year-round support services at their local Kesem chapters.
These young leaders serve as empathetic, trusted, and positive role models for the children that they serve, with 80% reporting having been affected by cancer previously. The outcome: children connect, heal, and thrive in a safe and supportive community, and student leaders emerge as uniquely well-rounded young professionals, entering the world and workforce able to make critical decisions with compassion and empathy.
Kesem provides life-changing experiences for children facing a parent’s cancer. We offer year-round services, including Camp Kesem and family resources that help children cope with the situation, become resilient, and create new friendships.
Your generosity allows us to offer Camp Kesem and all other year-round services free of charge, so any child dealing with a parent’s cancer can begin to heal, regardless of their economic situation.
There are so many ways to give. Donations help Kesem change lives! You can help by participating in fundraising; donating through planned giving, donor-advised funds, or stock donations; attending or sponsoring an event; or shopping at our store. With your support, we can ensure that more children impacted by a parent’s cancer can feel joy, hope, and the magic that is Kesem.
We're excited to launch a permanent collection of stories for our community to share.
