Page 28 - Demo

Sunday, March 23, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 28Continued from page 27and adults are to see each other, and how comfortable they become,%u201d she said.One mentor is Jen Hanseler, 58, a bookseller at Book Larder in Fremont. She and her husband are empty nesters with grown children, and she%u2019s found new satisfaction baking birthday cakes for the Rally Club kids, and also mentors a small group of thirdgraders once a week.%u201cI feel connected in a lot of ways. For me, (mentoring) brings my joy of baking to the older kids who really like getting their own birthday cake and making them feel special,%u201d she said.Third-graders are Hanseler%u2019s favorite age to mentor.%u201cThey%u2019re curious, funny and not shy about generation. But older volunteers, such as some at Seattle%u2019s Rally Club, can bring a whole new set of skills and life experience to a mentoring relationship.The club was established in 2021 after organizers observed not only a lack of programming for middle-schoolers, but also that youth often don%u2019t participate in opportunities that are available, said Amy Quilter, Rally Club%u2019s founder and president. Mentoring sessions take place at Eckstein Middle School, Green Lake Elementary and other sites around Seattle.%u201cA mentor is a cross between an authority figure and a friend,%u201d Quilter said. %u201cMentors cheer for accomplishments large and small, from making a sports team, pushing through a challenge or sending an email to a teacher advocating for themselves.%u201dQuilter said that older mentors are in a phase of life where they are often able to commit longer term, and %u201cthat consistent presence is important.%u201d%u201cI%u2019m inspired seeing how the relationships develop over time %u2014 how glad the kids sharing their feelings,%u201d she said. %u201cThey%u2019re curious about me. They ask questions about my age, my family. I just love the honesty of kids this age. They don%u2019t have the inhibitions of the older kids. These kids are so smart, funny and for the most part happy, and I hope working with them will help them have the confidence to stay that way as they get older.%u201dJust as the youths gradually open up to the mentors, Quilter also observes the older adults talking about their own lives.%u201cOne of my favorite parts is when mentors want to share things: the banana bread their own kids loved growing up, something they saw while shopping at Costco, a new food to try from a trip. It tells me that the kids are in their hearts. I love that,%u201d she said.Kara Diane Palmer, 57, is a retired attorney who had never mentored young people until she got involved with Rally Club in 2022. She now volunteers her time once a week as a mentor in group settings, typically with middleschool and high-school youths.%u201cWe try to have a light touch, and just be an adult who takes interest in their lives. If I%u2019m part of a conversation where I think my guidance is helpful, I%u2019ll give it, but we often are just connecting with the kids,%u201d she said. %u201cMy guidance tends to be around encouraging the kids to value their own worth.%u201cBeing with middle schoolers certainly helps you stay current culturally,%u201d Palmer said. %u201cThey also get very excited if you can talk to them about things their generation is focused on.%u201d To learn more about mentoring opportunities at Rally Club, visit rallyclubseattle.org.I feel connected in a lot of ways. For me, (mentoring) brings my joy of baking to the older kids who really like getting their own birthday cake and making them feel special.%u201cJen Hanseler!\A birthday cake that Jen Hanseler, a mentor with the Rally Club, baked for one of the group%u2019s kids. (Courtesy of Jen Hanseler)