It has been an entire semester of my service-learning experience, wow does not seem like it was that long to me. Many aspects of my service-learning were good and bad. Looking back it is hard to distinguish which was the best experience overall. I would mostly have to say talking with my mentee and just enjoying the time together was the best experience overall. I know that helping her with homework and staying organized was important, but I think building a relationship was even more important. Listening to what she liked to do and staying engaged within her life was really important for her to trust me. I think this trust will be far more beneficial in future visits then if we just sat there going through what was required and leaving without connecting at all.
I feel overall that my time spent at Hand Middle School was beneficial. It allowed me to venture outside USC's campus and help someone. I think I gained knowledge of how to be a mentor and help other people just from helping my mentee. I feel well equipped to get through my freshman year by incorporating some of the ideas I helped my mentee cover.
Thankfully, I do continue to mentor at Hand Middle School on Fridays. I believe continuing the mentoring will only help my mentee further by having a constant force to help her with her homework or listen to her problems. It will help her gain the trust that someone will be able to support and encourage her at school when she needs it most. I look forward to making great progress with my mentee next semester and just watch how mentoring changes her in a positive way from where she was at the beginning of the year.
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