On January 8, I attended with other mentees and our mentors an Advocacy Leadership Training with Mass Mentoring in collaboration with PYD (Partners for Youth with Disabilities) in preparation for Youth Mentoring Day at the State House that was on January 8th. The night was educational, active and fun. We had a great night together and we also enjoyed delicious pizza! We were prepared to share our stories at the State House.
At Youth Mentoring Day at the State House, held on January 17th, we were a great group of advocates – mentors and mentees showed up despite the snow with Mass Mentoring Partnership and PYD to share how important mentoring is. It was powerful and exciting to listen to some awesome speakers. State Senator Linda Doreen Forty is a big supporter for mentoring and she spoke very passionately about the subject. Her speech captivated me and even moved some of us to tears! It was exciting and I loved being a part of this important event at the State House.
Thanks to all the representatives who spoke, who took the time to meet with us after and who supported us in our mission to increase awareness and increase funding for mentoring. Mentoring fosters positive life effects on youth. I know, I have had several great mentors who have helped me grow as a person and have always given me valuable insight in many different areas of my life. I am grateful for all my mentors for helping me through different stages of my life! I hope other youth with disabilities get the chance to experience the power of mentoring!