Letter To The Editor: Mentors Learn From Mentees & Vice Versa

I've been meeting with Tyrese, currently a seventh grader at Dimmitt Middle School, almost every week since he was a fifth grader at Talbot Elementary and it is the highlight of my week.  Orginally, I did it because I had some family friends working with Communities In Schools who asked me to give it a try, and I wanted to give back to the community that has given me so much. 

Once a week we meet at the school and play games, shoot some hoops, chat a little about what's going on, what classes he likes, which ones he doesn't, what his favorite video games are and how bad he beats his older brothers at them.  Right now, Tyrese and I are building a working model of a 4 cylinder engine.

I could not have comprehended at the time how much impact Tyrese would have on my life and hope that I am able to have just a fraction of that impact on his life.  If anyone is looking for an opportunity to give back, I can't imagine there being a more rewarding way than with Communities In Schools.

Nate Thornton
Renton