For almost nine years, Shenandoah University students have been making a difference in the lives of local school children through a mentoring program in Frederick County, Virginia.
The mentoring program, which originated at Orchard View Elementary School, is now helping struggling students at Bass-Hoover Elementary in Stephens City, Virginia. “It has been a huge success,” said Shenandoah University College Life Coach Fritz Polite, Ph.D., MPA, who helped establish the original program at Orchard View. “SU students are impacting change, and that is what higher education is all about. It also allows our students to be empowered to be agents of change.”
Thirty-one Shenandoah students participated in the program this past school year at Bass-Hoover, said the elementary school’s intervention resource teacher, Anne Winn.
The program isn’t an academic one, Winn clarified. “Mentors act as consistent role models who build relationships, share experiences and assist students with happenings in their daily lives.” The impact the SU students have had is reflected in feedback from their mentees, said Winn, who shared that the Bass-Hoover students noted how their mentors helped them to be kind, express themselves, or be a good sport.
And, it appears the program affects the mentors as much as it does the mentees. “I feel the mentors learn how positive interactions can influence a student’s life,” Winn said. “They learn the impact of selfless service. Many mentors express how meeting with their mentee can be a highlight of a stressful week.”
“This program has evolved to become my favorite part of the week consistently,” said Nick Markovina ’25. “It is what I look forward to every Friday. Seeing the impact that not only I but also the other mentors have on the students is inspiring, to say the least!”
“I have been a part of the mentoring program at Bass-Hoover Elementary since 2021,” said Joseph Cooper II ’22, ’24. “I was able to mentor the same student since I started in the program; he is now going into middle school in the fall.
“My mentee and I started out by having lunch with each other once a week to check in and give life updates. Once we built a stronger bond, I attended one of his basketball games. We then started going to sporting events together at SU and he recently came to my graduation to watch me walk the stage,” said Cooper, who graduated from Shenandoah in May 2024 with his Master of Business Administration degree. “I felt I was able to make a difference in my mentee’s life by showing him some of the college experience.”
Winn said she is hopeful about the program’s continued success in the 2024-25 school year. “I’m excited many mentors expressed an interest in coming back next year, and want to work with the same student. That type of consistency is important. We’d also love to have new mentors join our program. We especially have a need for more female mentors,” she said.
She added that community/corporate help for the mentorship program is always welcome. “Corporate sponsorship could help us assist mentors with expenses such as gas money,” she added.
To learn more, please contact Dr. Polite at fpolite@su.edu.
