Have you been considering mentoring, either seriously or just in passing? Kris Wise, CISNT mentor at Lewisville High School, says, “This experience has been life changing. I highly recommend signing up. It will change your life too!”
When Kris began mentoring with Communities In Schools of North Texas (CISNT) in the fall of 2015, she did so because, as a mother to boys, she missed being around young girls and thought mentoring in a CISNT Leadership Group (then called Lunch with a Leader) would be a great way to get some girl time in. She says at the time she’d thought she’d give it a try for a school year. For two years, Kris met with her mentee, Evelyn, monthly in a group setting, and though sixteen meetings spread over two years might seem like it wouldn’t make much of an impact, it was more than enough for Evelyn and Kris to want to keep meeting when Evelyn moved to middle school.
Giving monthly mentoring a try for a school year evolved into meeting one-on-one with Evelyn every week for seven years and counting. Kris says she wasn’t sure at first if she could fit a weekly session into her schedule, but by coupling her meetings with lunch she was able to consistently do it, even during COVID when all meetings were virtual. These days, Kris and Evelyn spend their time together catching up about life, with a particular focus on what Evelyn’s plans are for after she graduates in 2025. Part of that is talking about best practices for living a great life so that Evelyn has every advantage possible.
Chloe Jones, our Site Coordinator at Lewisville HS, says, “Kris is so invested in providing a safe and non-judgmental space for Evelyn and so dedicated to ensuring that Evelyn has a trusted adult in her life to support her educationally and emotionally. Kris is a huge advocate for Evelyn in any situation! I am so thankful to have Kris at LHS and I know Evelyn is so grateful for Kris and all she has provided her with.”
But for all that Kris has done to help and support Evelyn, Evelyn has taught Kris just as much. “I thought I was doing this to help girls. In reality it has helped me pursue my goals and relationships as we work through her teenage issues. I’m so thankful for the opportunity for self reflection while pouring into her.” Kris says.
Kris has nothing but the highest praise for Evelyn. She says, “She was so shy at the beginning. I would think of questions during the week to ask her just to get her to talk. As a boy mom I was used to one word answers so I honed my conversation skills while helping her open up. Now she is a strong confident leader among her friends. She knows her worth.”
