Dearborn Rotarian Kathy Kalil (at podium) speaks about the My Potential Mentoring Program, which pairs select incoming freshman with upperclassmen to provide support and friendship, during a June 6 presentation at Henry Ford Centennial Library.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN – Dearborn Rotarians shared the positive results of its My Potential Mentoring Program, which pairs select incoming freshmen with upperclassmen, during a June 6 meeting at Henry Ford Centennial Library.
The program, which provides freshmen with support and friendship throughout their initial high school year, is one the Rotarians hope to expand to other schools and age groups.
Dearborn Rotarians Abeir Beydoun (left), Kathy Kalil and Lydia El Ajame, along with Crestwood High School Restorative Practices and Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support coordinator Hassan Ozeir, gather following a presentation of the results of the My Potential Mentoring Program, which pairs select incoming freshman with upperclassmen to provide support and friendship, during a June 6 meeting at Henry Ford Centennial Library.
Rotarian Kathy Kalil said they are proud of what the program has accomplished in its nine years of existence.
“It’s a long-term program, and as long as suicides and (overdoses) damage the community of Dearborn and our youth, then we are in it for the long term,” she said.
Rotarian Lydia El Ajame said the program aims to support freshmen who may be depressed or anxious, who are going through hard times, or who may be having trouble academically.
She said that from April 2023 to April 2024, Dearborn reported seven suicides, seven suicide attempts and 30 overdoses among those age 18 and older, and there was one reported suicide attempt and no reported overdoses among those age 17 or younger.
El Ajame said Edsel Ford and Crestwood high schools participated in the MPMP last year.
In a sample set of students who were mentored, she said they found an increase in “feeling happy” between the beginning and end of the school year, and a decline in “feeling down.”
El Ajame said there was significant increase in the mentees feeling more comfortable at school by the end of the year, and most experienced a reduction in anxiety.
She said those surveyed also reported that they experienced significantly less bullying, felt more connected to their teachers and mentors, and felt more comfortable at school by the end of the year.
El Ajame said most students said they wished they could spend more time each week with their mentor, while a small percentage reported that they still were experiencing anxiety despite participating in the program.
She said the majority of the upperclassman mentors reported that they believed that their mentee felt more connected at school, saw them as a friend and were happier at school, and that their grades had improved by the end of the year.
El Ajame said the majority of the mentors also said having the ability to spend more time with their mentee would have been beneficial.
Dearborn Rotarian Lydia El Ajame (at podium) speaks about the results of the My Potential Mentoring Program, which pairs select incoming freshman with upperclassmen to provide support and friendship, during a June 6 presentation at Henry Ford Centennial Library.
She said the majority of the mentors felt the training with which they were provided was valuable, as well.
El Ajame said the majority of the mentors experienced higher self-esteem, increased confidence and improved leadership and communication skills.
One mentee said they learned how to deal with problems that arose during the school year, that the program helped them learn how to form friendships, and they learned how to better express their feelings and concerns.
Another mentee, a recent immigrant, said it helped them to have someone teach them how to navigate the educational system.
One mentor said they were glad to help a recent immigrant, as they had been an immigrant themselves.
Another mentor said participation in the program helped them grow as an individual, offered them new perspectives and helped them make meaningful connections.
For more information about the Rotary Club of Dearborn, contact them at [email protected] or go to dearbornrotary.org.