NHRI Leadership Mentor Wisdom

NHRI Alumni wanted new counselors to know...

"Spend time with your Leadership Mentee's family. I did this and I can truly say they are like a second family to me. Building a relationship with all of them will allow you and your Leadership Mentee to bond and you will be better for it." -Michelle Wurtz, Preteen Project

"Be consistent! Simply showing up every week makes a world of difference. You don't need to go over the top on a weekly basis just put in the time and be spontaneous!"-Katy Mosier, Preteen Project


"Be patient. Not every one-on-one will be profound and trust takes a long time to build. Begin simply by listening and asking questions!" -Kimberly Schumacher, LDP at Lincoln High

"Don't be afraid to open yourself up to your Leadership Mentee. Sometimes it may be hard because you don't want to make yourself vulnerable to somebody who you are trying to make a good impression on. It's important though, because nobody is perfect and exposing yourself to your counselor shows how it is alright to make mistakes and it helps greatly to get them to open up to you." Kyle Wroblewski, Childs Project

"Don't take your role as a Leadership Mentor lightly. You have the opportunity to drastically change your Leadership Mentee's life, as well as others' in your project. If you make it your goal to become personally involved and you asked questions of other counselors about their relationship with their Leadership Mentee, you'll find that this program is more than just another club and that the people in it have become some of your best friends." -Bailey Doane, Lux/East Project

"Don't be afraid to be yourself. Don't hold back. Your Leadership Mentee can teach you so much. It's a two-way street, they learn from you and you learn from them!" 
-Megan Bauerle
, Childs Project