Published: May 27, 2009 09:14 am      

Assist program matches students with mentors

CLINTON — For the second year, the Clinton High School Assist department and local businesses have enabled sophomores to learn through experience.

Jenny Hansen, of the CHS Assist department, said the Learning Through Experience program started last year after she went to a conference and heard about it. This eight-week program has students from the assist department figuring out what career paths they may like and being mentored by individuals from a local business in their chosen fields.

“I think last year was such a success that we decided to keep it in the same realm,” said Hansen.

She said the average grade point average of the students in last year’s Learning Through Experience program rose from a 2.09 to a 3.04 during the time of the program.

A total of 21 students participated this year. Hansen said they sat down with the students during the first trimester and performed a career assessment. After knowing what field each student was interested in, they then had to find mentors for them. Hansen said the program was extremely lucky in finding great mentors.

“All of the mentors we have have been very excited about taking the kids. It’s never like it’s taxing or a waste of their time. They’ve been very, very good,” said Hansen.

Hansen said finding and arranging mentors for some students was more difficult than for others. Devin Chambers, 16, spent his entire eight weeks at J&B Welding. She said for most students, they split the mentoring into two places to give them a look at different career paths. Chambers, however, said he knows he wants to be a welder.

Hansen said finding a mentor for Stephin McHenry, 16, was a little challenging, but she managed to find him a mentor in the public relations field with the LumberKings and at the Ashford University Creative Writing department.

Hansen said she had a difficult time when Chelsea Kooistra, 16, said she wanted experience booking bands. Hansen finally found her a mentor at The Wild Rose Casino and Resort in marketing and entertainment.

Since the end of March, students visited their mentors during eight weeks on Tuesdays from noon to 2:35 p.m. Chambers, McHenry and Kooistra said the program was a great experience for them. Chambers said he has learned even more about welding and what education he will need for a career in welding. McHenry said he learned about the public relations field and enjoyed sharing his creative writing. Kooistra, who also mentored in the cosmetology field, said the program helped her discover that she would rather book bands and work in the entertainment field.

“I think that's the thing that is the most important aspect of this is for these guys, for this Learning Through Experience, when they know that they want to do something and they know what they like, that they understand what they need to get through the rest of high school and further instead of waiting until they get out of high school and having to find it out for themselves,” said Hansen.

Hansen said the program also gives the students good references and possible job opportunities. She said four students from last year’s program were offered summer jobs from their mentors.