Gathered in small groups by the track, sixth and eighth grade students at Joseph Stilwell Military Academy of Leadership discussed topics like bullying, kindness, and inclusion. After weeks of getting to know each other, the students met to finalize their pairings as eighth grade mentors and sixth grade mentees.
“It’s fostering unity within our battalions,” said Nitza Palomino, Magnet Coordinator and Lead Leadership Teacher for the eighth grade. “It builds a lot of community, and it helps school culture more than anything.”
The mentoring program – which launched this fall – pairs students in Stilwell’s leadership classes through regular in-class interactions. Palomino said that for sixth graders, the immediate benefit is having an older, more experienced student to guide them as they navigate middle school both socially and academically.
“Maybe he can teach me more about science, and he can help me with my math,” said sixth grader Chrishawn Taylor about his mentor.
“They can tell you right from wrong—what you need to do and what you don’t need to do,” added My’kakyla Wallace, another mentee.
Mentors like Landon Howard and Daniya Billings said they’re also grateful for the opportunity to make a positive impact.
“I can help out the sixth graders and guide them toward success,” said Howard.
“We can teach them what we learned from our previous grades,” said Billings.
Beyond guiding younger students, Palomino said eighth grade mentors are also learning from the experience. Simply knowing they have a mentee has encouraged them to become more aware of their own actions and behaviors.
“It helps them lead with respect and responsibility,” she said.
Though the pilot program is not yet available to all students, the goal is to eventually involve all grades. Just a few months into the school year, Palomino said she can already attest to its effectiveness and its potential to positively influence the entire student body.
“The big goal is to promote kindness and compassion in a supportive atmosphere—for all of us,” she said.
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