Saint Michael’s celebrates strong relationships during Mentor Day

May 2, 2024

Izzy Quam '25

All four of Saint Michael’s College’s mentor programs gathered on April 19 to celebrate Mentor Day.

“This year, a bunch of the mentor pairs played pickup soccer while others ran through the inflatable obstacle course, made cotton candy, or checked out the Fire and Rescue vehicles. It is an afternoon full of festivities, food, and fun!” Ryan Hay said, Assistant Director of Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts (MOVE) and the professional staff advisor for the mentor programs.

“Mentor day was so fun. It was so nice to see the different mentor groups and the mentee kids interact with each other and spend a day just being kids,” Sophie Burt ’26 said, a mentor for Middle School Mentors. “It was fun to see people from all different aspects of the community playing with the kids. Everyone was connecting, bonding, and giving back to the community.”

Photo by Sophie Burt ’26

Saint Michael’s has four formal youth mentor programs on campus, all through the MOVE office, explained Hay. The four mentor programs on campus are Middle School Mentors, which engages with female-identifying middle schoolers, International Outreach, which engages with multilingual learners in third through twelfth grade, Little Brother Little Sister, which engages with second through fifth graders, and DREAM, which engages with youth living in low-income housing.

Each week, the youth spend either one-on-one time or get together in groups on campus. They have meals, participate in activities, and sometimes do excursions off campus, explained Hay.

“Our mentor programs provide youth with opportunities to build strong relationships with college students on a college campus,” Hay said.

Photo by Sophie Burt ’26

Burt said she really likes being able to give these kids good experiences. “I know middle school can be tough, so I like being a support system for them,” she said.

Not only do the mentor programs help the kids have fun, but there are also benefits for the mentors.

“We are not only helping the kids have fun, we are helping ourselves and each other have fun and take a break from the stresses of college,” Burt said.

Photo by Sophie Burt ’26

Burt said she is close to the other mentors and has made friends that will last through her time at Saint Michael’s. Burt said she became a mentor because she did a similar program in high school and wanted to find a program here.

“When I found out about Middle School Mentors it felt perfect for me,” Burt said.

Students interested in becoming mentors should reach out to the MOVE Office. Applications are available in the fall and applicants are then interviewed and placed into programs depending on program capacity. Hay said mentors are asked to dedicate two to three hours each week to the program throughout their time at St. Mike’s to foster meaningful relationships with their mentee. The programs provide a consistent relationship for three to four years.