Serving as a mentor for the John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life. As I prepare to enter my second "term" as a mentor, I look forward to working with a Framingham high school student who needs guidance, support, and friendship in order to achieve his or her goals. It’s amazing to witness the transformation of many of these students, many of whom have gone on to enter and graduate from college. If you have ever thought about becoming a mentor, please consider this program. You will not be disappointed.
This organization is very well run. They are in constant contact with the Mentors and are always available to consult and otherwise help. The bottom line, however, is the impact they have on the youth they serve. I am very impressed by the transformation of so many of the mentees. Even those who do not succeed in a conventional sense benefit from the Mazie experience. The program is a great example of how small efforts can produce significant results.
What I like best about The Mazie Program is the support I have received throughout the 9 months I have been involved. The staff is very helpful when setting up goals with my mentee. Also, I like the idea of the staff being located in the high school where the mentees being served attend. The students have the support and guidance they need to be successful in the program. The staff does a good job of matching mentors to mentees and the experience of getting to know my mentee has been wonderful. I feel I have been able to enrich my life as much as I hope I have enriched my mentee's.
My experience as a mentor has been excellent. I have had the priveledge in being part of my mentee's life and it has been extraordiary. Mentoring a high school student has been enjoyable and has given me the opportunity to give back to the community.
I've been a mentor for a young man in high school for 6 months now. As the program is goals based, my mentee has specific things we have determined together should be goals for him to achieve. Although he was extremely hesitant towards the goals and my relationship with him initially, after 6 months we have the sort of relationship & experiences only true friends have. Our conversations bring back memories of my own teenage years and only help to foster our bond. I have witnessed a truly remarkable & positive change in my mentee's attitude & self-confidence within this short period of time. I believe we are both growing in ways neither of us ever expected. This has been a wonderful experience for me personally and I would highly recommend anyone who has a couple of hours available per week to get involve and help listen & guide these fantastic young adults.
Have been involved for several years as a mentor, currently working with my second teenager. This foundation is doing wonderful things in the community, helping teens learn the way to rise above their circumstances through education and goal-setting. Each teen comes into the program voluntarily, but still nervous and suspicious that any adult would want to help them. They leave, 2 or 3 years later, upon graduation, with confidence that they can be successful in their dreams.
I have been a volunteer for about 6 months. The program is truly first rate. We were given excellent training, especially in terms of what to expect. On key aspect of the program is that the mentees have to demonstrate through the application process that they are willing and ready to put in the time and effort necessary to be successful. In my personal experience, I am working with a teen knows that he has work to do to catch up academically, but is putting in some effort, even over the summer to catch up.
This organization has allowed me to help my mentee begin to focus on his future plans. We have done some volunteer activities together, seen movies, hung out for ice cream and shared in some of my family ventures, such as the Big Apple Circus. As a retired teacher, it has helped me continue to connect with a high school student and provide support in school and personal goals. Having seen a teacher, I can help him in working through issues he may encounter in the classroom.
The foundation helps students in the Framingham High School. Most of the students are at risk of never finishing HS or getting into a lot of trouble. The fondation finds volunteers from the community to serve as mentors and pairs each mentor with a student. There are various activities to get to know the interest of the student and to figure out the best strategy to help the student identify what he or she needs to do to change things around. The most important part of the program is that it teaches the students to set goals and helps them plan and prepare to accomplish them. I encourage everyone in the area to check the Mazie Foundation and volunteer, give back to the community and help make it better.
The Mazie program is phenomenal! It gives both the student and the mentor the help and support they need to be successful in this type of situation. I am always receiving emails from the administrators checking in to see how myself and my mentee are doing. This program gives students who are struggling a new chance. It challenges them with a series of goals that they much achieve and also helps them to know their are many adults out there who care about their well being and their future. I could go on for days about this program but I simply do not have the time! Please support this wonderful organization!
I find the Mazie's Foundation, the most reliable program to help teenagers to find the way to accomplish goals and meet them to have a greater future. Also, it is a great program to help youth to confront their social and family problems with hope and confidence that increases their self-esteem as well.
This organization provides a system of mentors that are matched with students by a coordinator who works in the school at no cost to the system. In turn, these students receive various substantial rewards for their successful completion of 3, 6, 12, and 24-month goals culminating in substantial scholarships toward college. I have come to believe that the promises made to these students have been more than kept by the Foundation, and it is, in fact, all true. Framingham High School annually receives about 40 slots in the Mazie Foundation. Mentoring Director Lauren Kracoff screens students and evaluates their appropriateness for the program. A coordinator and a social worker link students with an adult mentor from the community. It is an investment in quality time and care for kids that form the cornerstone of an organization that provides a constant uplifting force. This secondary connection, in addition to the primary connection each student has with a mentor, should not be underestimated. The growth in maturity, responsibility, and raised academic achievement provided by the Mazie Foundation allows our students to open doors to the future that they had never even thought to knock on before. Concrete, realistic goals grounded in supportive relationships with other adults provide a scaffolding that almost all students can climb. It is a program few public schools could ever provide on their own, and a program that I am thrilled to have at our school. It has a huge impact on our students.
The Mazie Foundation has helped students in need of an adult mentor find the appropriate guidance and positive influence they need to achieve their personal and academic goals. Students become more self aware, explore career options, and gain self esteem. Mazie Mentors have helped students experience success, inspiring them to tackle more ambitious career and life-long experiences, including college.
The Mazie Foundation has helped many students set and achieve goals. Some of them are personal while others are educational. Students work closely with a mentor starting in their sophomore year and work on things like bringing their grades up, opening a savings account, and applying to college.
This organization provides mentors to high school young people who need that extra support.The students are required to set both personal and educational goals over three years and after successful completion of the program will receive up to $2000 towards post high school study. I am involved as both a mentor and a Board member and am humbled by the desire of these young people to overcome obstacles and become success adults. Many are the first in their family to go on to higher education or even complete high school. The most meaningful event each year is when the students share their college essay often telling of their experiences. I am amazed at how the students have and continue to persevere. For some students even simple goals, such as attend school every day, are a struggle as many are involved with helping to support their families or take care of their siblings or even their own children. The pride these students feel upon completion of the program is evident each year when they honor their mentors and share what that person has meant to them.