PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — For the past two years, Jessica Caruso and Nayeli Gutierrez have had lunch together once a week at High Point Elementary in Clearwater.
Like most friends, they talk about what's happening in their lives and what’s going on at school, and they have fun playing games.
"Just a simple conversation with friends, building not only a mentor relationship but a friendship at the same time," said Caruso.
They belong to a program called Lunch Pals.
It's one of the many mentoring opportunities at Pinellas County schools.
Caruso says she's seen Nayeli come a long way in the last two years.
"It’s really great to see her grow from second grade into third grade, and she was really shy in the beginning and now she’s just blossomed into this little social butterfly," said Caruso.
There are many more students like Nayeli who need the kind of special one-on-one attention that a mentor can offer.
"It can be students who are extremely shy and we want to bring them out of their shell; it can be a student who doesn’t have the greatest family life and need just a little more support," said Tammy Hawkins, mentor coordinator.
Right now, hundreds of those students across Pinellas County are on a waiting list for a mentor.
Mentoring can be done in person or virtually and they desperately need male mentors.
"Male mentors are always a big issue for us. It would be great if we could find businesses in our area that could spend 30 minutes a day with a student," said Hawkins.
Caruso says not only can you make a difference in a child’s life but in your own as well.
"It’s so rewarding for me. Lunch Pals is very special; getting to see her every week. It brightens my day and I assume the same for her, too," said Caruso.
To learn more about how to become a mentor, visit: CLICK HERE.
