Mentor Reflection

I have demonstrated leadership skills through my summer job working as a camp counselor at a camp through the YMCA of Greater Charlotte. The YMCA Readers program is a free six-week program that allows at-risk students to stay ahead of the summer learning loss curve. Students are given reading instruction, two meals, and swim lessons. Most students chosen for the program come from challenging home situations and are often behind grade level on their reading skills. This position has tested my leadership skills as I was placed in several difficult situations through the summer, however, this also helped me grow. At my camp, I had the privilege of working with a class of rising first graders. I had students that had parents in jail, students that did not have a bed to sleep on, and students who did not know where their next meal was coming from. As someone who always had a roof above my head, a bed to sleep in, and food on the table, I found it somewhat hard to relate to the struggles and needs of my students. This struggle to connect helped me grow in my leadership skills because it taught me to use empathy. In order to connect with my students, I needed to put myself in their shoes to help me understand the battles they faced each day.

This made me step outside my comfort zone and be a leader for mt students. When I arrived, I had to help my students transition from the end of their reading instruction to our fun afternoon enrichment activities. I thought of fun games and phrases for my students to say as we made the tough transition from one activity to the next. As the students learned how to transition, I found that the classroom environment was less challenging and my students began to feel comfortable with our daily