Youth mentoring is vital to me because it is the very thing that helped reshape the trajectory of my own life. Growing up in the foster care system, moving through six different homes by the age of six, and navigating life without the stability every child deserves, I know firsthand what it feels like to crave guidance, consistency, and love. Those early experiences didn’t break me — they built in me a deep compassion for children who are facing similar battles. Mentoring isn’t just something I do; it’s a calling rooted in personal history, lived experience, and a commitment to interrupt cycles of pain, instability, and hopelessness.

For me, mentoring is how I transform what I survived into something that serves others. Each young person I meet represents a chance to offer the kind of support I once needed — a steady voice, a safe presence, and a belief in their potential. I know that one caring adult can change the entire direction of a child’s life because mentors and supportive adults helped change mine. That truth is why I refuse to let my schedule, titles, or responsibilities pull me away from young people. My time with them is not an obligation; it’s the heartbeat of my purpose.

I make time for mentoring because children don’t need perfect leaders — they need present ones. They need people willing to show up consistently, speak life over them, and remind them that their future is bigger than the challenges in front of them. Every camp, every conversation, every moment spent listening or guiding is an investment in breaking generational cycles and building generations of hope.

Youth mentoring is vital to me because it is not just service — it is stewardship of my story. It is how I honor the journey God brought me through. And as long as there are young people searching for direction, affirmation, and a path forward, I will keep making time, and giving my life to the work that once helped save mine.