Ken Bain, author of the award-winning book What the Best College Teachers Do and keynote speaker at 2007 Presidents' Colloquium on Teaching and Learning My most important mentor has been a shy young girl whom I met in 1965. She came from a small town in North Texas, and had lived in the same house all of her life before she went off to attend a university. Her parents apparently had a great sense of rhythm and gave her a name that repeated part of her family name, giving it a lilting quality like Boutros Boutros-Ghali. Her mother ran a beauty shop in her home, and her father had worked for the Rural Electric Authority before he died suddenly one Christmas from a massive cerebral hemorrhage. The girl was seventeen, and when I met her and for many years thereafter, she still wore the emotional scars of that teenage tragedy.   She had managed to cherry-pick wisely from the culture in which she had matured, discarding its racism, provincialism, and narrow-mindedness while keeping its emphasis on honesty, friendliness, and decency. Without really thinking about it she had stripped the ugly bark away from the inner wood and had found a central core of fine-grained beauty that she carried forward with charm and humility. In that remarkable feat, she had displayed a social intelligence that still intrigues me, yet she had done so with a humility that would never allow her to appreciate her own accomplishment or intellectual prowess. Her method of mentoring me has never been didactic but rather collaborative and exploratory. We have both been on a great adventure, searching together for ways of understanding ourselves and the world in which we live. She has nudged and pleaded, and sometimes annoyed me, but always with a loving charm, that kept me coming back for more. I have known her for more than forty years now, and in that time, we have learned together, building brick by brick a steady and reliable view of the world and our place in it. In thousands of conversations, we have marched through everything from politics to the arts, exploring a world of ideas and developments. Back in the day, she would cut clippings from the newspaper, and one of her first gifts to me was a little tool that allowed me to snip some article from the daily press so that I might keep it for future reference. Today, she sends me e-mails with links to some story she has found. She reads with the appetite of a glutton, devouring novels and news, and probing her favorite news sites and university resources to find some interesting study or event that will set my mind ablaze with new ideas and ways of approaching some issue or problem that is the current object of my work. She has helped me to learn the value of honesty and simple decency. She has fostered self-efficacy, that quality that enables people to believe that they can do something. For much of my life, I've had trouble believing that I could write well, but with numerous suggestions she has helped me both to improve my writing and to believe in its value. In 1966, after I had known her for less than a year, I married Marsha Faye Marshall, the beautiful, shy girl with the rhythmic name, and she has remained my partner and mentor ever since.

Brenda Halloran, Mayor of Waterloo I am very pleased to have been asked to contribute to the Loving to Learn Day. The theme of mentoring is very near and dear to my heart. I believe in mentoring and coaching and helping each other in as many ways as possible through teaching and sharing of knowledge and skills. I have been very fortunate to have been mentored by several talented and caring people at key turning points in my life and my career. The most influential mentor for me has been Ms. Ruby Howard who was the Assistant Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency during the time I worked there. She was a strong supporter of mentoring and I was one of a select few who had the privilege of being mentored by her. She encouraged me to really reflect and look at my career aspirations and what my plan was on attaining my goals. She guided me through some difficult issues and provided opportunities for me to learn and ask questions in a safe and trusted environment. Ms. Howard asked me questions, some uncomfortable yet important-leading me to self discovery and awareness of my capabilities and areas that I needed to improve. She challenged me and provided incredible feedback-sometimes not what I wanted to hear yet always being positive and future focused. Her belief in me and her wisdom, experience and knowledge, that she so willingly and selflessly shared with me, has been one of the highlights of my personal journey. I still have my journals and workbooks and will refer to them for guidance when needed. The true joy of mentoring is the ability to provide a unique, life enhancing opportunity for someone who, like me, continues to be thankful for. I encourage everyone to consider mentoring as well as being mentored-it can be a wonderful life changer!

Carl Zehr, Mayor of Kitchener   I have had several people from different fields who have mentored me over the years so I have chosen to write about a person who set a great example for me in public life. John Sweeney was a MPP for many years, representing the riding of Kitchener-Wilmot. His style of "politics" is something that I constantly strive to emulate because it was so people oriented. While operating within a political fishbowl, he was always able to maintain a high degree of personal and professional integrity which earned him the respect of all MPP's, regardless of their party affiliation. His advice to me was to always be true to myself and let the passion for serving the public shine through the haze that sometimes surrounds politicians. I am grateful to have had him as a role model.

Winning Submission: Lucas Cherkewski, Grade 6, Elizabeth Ziegler Public School

Ms. Reist has made, and is continuing to make, a huge impact on my life in Grades 5 & 6. She currently teaches Grade 5/6 enrichment at Elizabeth Ziegler PS, a class which I am a part of. Every day, she comes into class full of energy, totally ready, and excited to teach us. It’s just so fun to have her as my teacher; she’s so vibrant, and always very expressive. I am always as excited as she is to come to class, she really makes it fun! Yes, learning can be fun; I learnt that very quickly with Ms. Reist! She has a certain way of teaching that not only gets across the what, but also the how and the why as well; learning this is so important. She also emphasizes to us the great importance of good research skills. The research skills that we learn from Ms. Reist are life skills. I am quite sure that other classes don’t spend an hour learning how to take good notes and then take notes on taking good notes! The things that we learn, they are important. It’s important to learn how to take good notes before you hit high school; it’s important to learn how to organize notes by subtopic, to learn to make different stages of brainstorming webs, not just one at the beginning that doesn’t really describe your topic. She teaches the importance of an outline and also how to do a proper bibliography. Without these skills, how can a person really be a skilled researcher? All of these help make you not only a good researcher, but a legitimate researcher. She always emphasizes those really important points, and I have changed from being bored in school and breezing through everything, to being actively engaged and really leaving my comfort zone. Another thing that is super cool about having Ms. Reist as a teacher is the field trips that we go on, and the guest speakers that come in to talk to us. Early this year, we went to Stratford to see a Shakespearean play. And we always have the coolest speakers about things like philosophy and math. Recently, Ms. Reist took a group of students, including myself, to meet Greg Mortensen, the founder of a charity that our class supports. She even got us backstage to meet him! If I didn’t have Ms. Reist in my life, I would likely be much less successful than I am. The exposure that I would be missing would be extreme. For example, I would be missing out on the experience of seeing a great Shakespearean play. Every student should have such a chance! Ms. Reist gave that, and many other amazing experiences to me, as a mentor. In conclusion, Ms. Reist is the coolest teacher ever, and I believe that she is totally deserving of this Loving to Learn award. Think, how many teachers are like a family friend to you? Mine is.

Honorable Mentions:

Maya Ingrid Keshav, Grades 1-8, age 13
“I believe I’ve put forth a tiny soul-root into Kingsport soil this afternoon. I hope so. I hate to feel transplanted,” says Anne Shirley, upon moving to Kingsport in her third book. I moved last summer, and Anne puts into words the feelings to hard to express. The dreamy philosopher, wordy redhead Anne Shirley has been an inspiration to many of all ages since her character was born in Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, first published in 1908, over a century ago. Anne romps from tale to tale in picturesque Prince Edward Island, a place I would dearly love to see. Anne has taught me a way of life, a way of words and tongue. When I grow up, I want to be a writer! I wasn’t to create people as real as Anne Shirley, to guide and mentor future generations. Thank you, Anne, for your spirit and your stories. I hope you continue to live both within your pages and without.

Sean Barbato, Grade 5
My mentor is my dad. My dad is my mentor because at he has taught me all that I know about my favourite sport, baseball. Dad was a very good baseball player so I have been able to learn a lot from him. Some reasons that I chose my dad are: that he has practiced with me countless times another reason is that he has been to practically all of my baseball games and finally when I played t-ball he coached my team in my 2nd year. These are some but not all of the reasons why my dad is my teacher my coach and my mentor!

Yousuf Ramahi, Age 10
My mother is my strongest mentor in life. She never lets me down; she teaches me numerous values including respect, patience, empathy, and most importantly strength to stand up for what is right and to achieve my goals, whatever they may be. My mother works for social justice in the community helping others in need, setting up soup kitchens and other activities for youth and elderly people. One day I would like to follow in her footsteps by creating a better world for everyone.­­ My mother always encourages me, always dedicates her time for me whenever I need her. My mother involves me in the community and in school events and she makes sure I get a good education to make me a stronger and smarter person. If she had never done any of this, then I would not have the same opportunities or be confident standing up for myself.    I dearly thank my mother for the support, encouragement and help that she has given me and I hope to put everything that she has taught me towards making the world a better place.

Laila el Mugammar, Grade 5
Mrs. Smale is an excellent mentor that has helped change my life for the better. The first time she taught me was in the third grade when she was a supply teacher. My first teacher quit without saying goodbye and my entire class was extremely upset but she helped turn us around. To help us write a pioneer diary for a pilgrim traveling to Canada, she read to us the biography and book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She helped take control of the behavior in the classroom and teach us a lot of new things .She helped me with my organizational skills and continues to help me know. She is the reason I attend the Enrichment program for Gifted Learners every first semester. Now, I still need some help with my organizational skills, and she continues to be patient with me and recommend several books to me, one of them being a wonderful pioneer story called a Bushel of Light by Troon Harrison which I recommend to everyone young and old. She even called me to her desk and gave me Wuthering Heights. I see her as a very smart woman. I am in the fifth grade and she is my permanent teacher. She taught me so well I got A’s on my CASSI! Ever since the third grade I have been ready to take on whatever the world throws at me! Thank you, Mrs. Smale!

Co-Winner: Janine Pilgrim

Her name was Doris Marguerite Saunders, and she was incredible. She was the sister of my mother (in other words, my aunt), but I always saw her as so much more. She was my guardian, my instructor, and my confidante. Whenever something happened at school that led me to become upset or discouraged, she was always ready and willing to pick me up from out of my 4th grade gutter. She would pat the couch cushion next to her, sit me down, and tell me of how the world was a beautiful place. Of how, sometimes, things get in the way of the beauty that we love to see. But she would always reassure me that, no matter how dark things might become, there would always be a light to move forward to. She taught me that life was worth living. And that I was strong enough to believe that. She also let me experience true friendship through all of her own actions and promises. This led me to expect a strong trust in my life that I look for in every friendship foundation I’ve had to help build. By involving herself in my life consistently, no matter how far away she lived, she taught me that I was worth the effort. She spent so much of her life helping me realize that I’m not just some silly girl; I’m a beautiful young woman, one who deserves kindness and respect from all that I meet. By the age of 7, she opened my eyes to the reality that I was important. Unfortunately, my Aunt Doris had to leave this world at a young age. It broke my heart and, for the longest time, I wasn’t sure how I would make it through. But just as despair was about to creep into my life, all that she had ever taught me came rushing back into my world. I felt the comfort she had left behind, and the wisdom she had passed on to me. That’s when I knew that I was meant to keep her spirit alive, because everyone deserved to feel her warmth. Turns out, she not only taught me in life…but in death, as well.

Co-Winner: Laura Jane Weber

Sometimes the people that influence our lives the most are not the powerful, high-profile individuals of our society. I learned this at a very young age, when I first met Salema as my babysitter. Salema has had a tremendous impact on my life in her own subtle way, perhaps without even realizing it herself. Together, over the course of my lifetime, we have lavishly decorated cakes, read novels, storybooks and recipes, and played exhilarating games of Dutch Blitz. Many life lessons are learned inside her small, black buggy and at her plain kitchen table in that quaint, white house on Snyder Avenue. Inside that quaint, white house on Snyder Avenue, hitching post and barn beside the driveway, lives an extremely special woman.

From the moment I roll into the driveway, my white Lumina van narrowly missing the hitching post, Salema can be seen through the closest side window. Her famous dish of chicken corn chowder is being meticulously prepared by loving and willing hands. The wholesome, home-style aroma of the chowder bubbling on the stove, as well as the joyous sound of children giggling as they amuse themselves with toys and games, greets me as I wander anxiously up to the front door. Salema welcomes me with a wide grin spread across her face, wiping her hands on the simple, floral print of her mahogany, ankle-length dress. Before we know it, hours pass by as we bake cake and cookies, play games and make crafts. We talk about her upcoming book sale and the prospect of me helping to operate it. We talk of our next train trip to Stratford where we will feed the ducks and swans in the park and visit the little stores along the main street. We talk about the clients from the group home Salema works at, as well as the many children she babysits. Salema and I are enjoying each other’s company, enjoying the simple pleasures of the day.

Another day, I make my way to that quaint, white house on Snyder Avenue, hitching post and barn beside the driveway. Salema is giving me and my eight year old cousin Ryan the privilege of staying overnight in her home, playing games and making sour cream and onion popcorn on the stove. When I arrive, Salema is already pulling on her gigantic, black barn boots, gigantic, black barn coat, and a kerchief tied snugly around her chin, to replace her bonnet. This could mean only one thing; I am accompanying Salema to the barn to feed her golden-brown horse, Captain, as usual. Once inside the barn, Salema opens the white, burlap folds of the bag of oats and exclaims with a chuckle, “Whoa, Captain!” as the horse’s nose becomes visible, attempting to dig into the sac. I sit in the buggy, pretending to snap the whip and turning the lights on and off, on and off, hesitant to get much closer to the large hooves and somewhat hidden teeth Captain possesses. Salema talks gently to her horse as she brushes him down and throws a fresh bale of hay into the pen. To my extreme delight, she hitches up Captain, unfolding her brilliant idea- picking up Ryan, at his house across town, in the buggy! So, side by side, we ride slowly through small town Elmira, vehicles whizzing past us, the occasional person talking into a cellphone. Time pauses and we are content to enjoy the simple pleasure of this ride, and each other’s company. We are content to let twenty-first century technology pass us by. Salema and I are satisfied once again with simple pleasures.

Salema has taught me a lot in life. She has taught me to appreciate life’s simple pleasures and be content with what I have, especially in a complex and sometimes mixed-up world. She has taught me to always put others ahead of myself and she has shown me the value of friendship, love and kindness. Most importantly, Salema’s life has demonstrated to me, through her loving care for the clients in the group home, for the children she babysits, and for me and my family, how important it is to respect and love people from all walks of life. She has displayed an admirable, genuine love for God and is serving Him in everything she does, and through every person whose life she touches. Salema has taught me, as well as shown me, what it means to truly live a life devoted to following the Lord. I have learned these things, and will continue to learn more, from that special woman inside that quaint, white house on Snyder Avenue, hitching post and barn beside the driveway.

Honorable Mentions:

We also received a batch of great submissions from Grade 12 students at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute in Kitchener, courtesy of their English teacher, Jon Krys. Reading those entries as a group is especially interesting, because they show the range of mentors that students have, even in one class.

Eahssan Mayanloo, Grade 12

I was walking to school, the cold wind flicking my face and my ears frozen. “So cold….I should’ve listened to dad” I thought. Before leaving the house my dad asked me if I was wearing gloves, a scarf and a hat and I lied to him, just to get back to “my life”. Something bad always happens to me when I don’t listen to him. He provided me knowledge on surviving in this cruel world. Most importantly he indoctrinated me how to play chess at the age of 5, by telling me he would give me 1000$ if I ever won a game against him. I played with him every single day for 6 years until I finally beat him when he was not paying attention. Jumping all over the place, I was so happy I wasn’t even thinking about the money. My family played chess for generations and my oldest uncle won 2nd place in my country, but later on died in war. In Iran, chess is an international sport played throughout the country. It can be compared to Canadians playing hockey or Europeans playing soccer. I realized at that moment that my dad just wanted me to be a good chess player, so I didn’t accept the money. I wonder what would happen to me had I not met him?

Grace Bleaney, Grade 12

0% is your chance of living for ten years after having pancreatic cancer. Ten years later, my mentor has beaten those odds. My mother has beaten those odds. My mother, a woman who has not only spent the majority of her life caring for her own children, but also caring for and teaching other people’s children as a high school math teacher. The lessons she has taught me though have nothing to do with math. My mom has taught me that I need to love and embrace who I am and that I should never compare my talents to the talents of others. Each talent I possess is unique and different compared to everyone else and if I’m comparing them I won’t realize there value. My mom has influenced many of my choices and my thoughts. She has shaped my life in so many ways. At 11 I was scared to leave my happy little bubble at home. When an opportunity to attend an international camp in Brazil without my parents was presented to me I was unsure what to do. My mom encouraged me to take a chance and go to the camp. By doing this she found a way to open my eyes to the world. Living and working with others from different countries and cultures enabled me to begin to see the world in a new way and from a different point of view. Years later at the age of 17 the biggest decision I have ever had to make was presented to me, what do I want to do with my life? When I ask my mom for her help she researched every possible career that she thought may interest me or might fit my personality. By following her advice I selected a program and plan to head into education, following in her footsteps to become a teacher. My mother is a woman whose strength and persistence amazes me. She is a woman who I always know will put others, especially her children, before herself. She is my trusted guide in life. Without her I would not be the person I am or be in the place I am. I wouldn’t be me.

Hannah Martin, Grade 12

One night when I was nine years old a nineteen year old man rolled down my driveway after being hit in the head by my garage door. When I heard this story I never once thought that man would ever have any importance in my life. David Clarkson is a well known New Jersey Devils hockey player. The twenty-five year old is not just a shining celebrity face that I see on my television on game nights, but a brother, a friend and my mentor. My family has been billeting Kitchener Rangers for ten years. When I found out David Clarkson and Adam Keefe, the two biggest goons on the Rangers, would be living with me I was more than a bit frightened. I quickly learned however, that I could turn to David for anything, especially advice. When I began getting bullied in middle school, I turned to David for his outlook on the situation. He told me to overlook all of their comments and hurtful words and to focus on the good people in my life and the positive things about myself. If I had never had met David I would still be the little self conscious grade six student who was too afraid to do or say anything for fear of being ridiculed. When I found out David started a charity called, “Clarky’s kids”, a charity that raises money to help children with cancer and their families, I congratulated him on doing something so amazing. He then told me that what he was doing was not amazing but that it was his chance to give back to the community that helped him to get where he is today. He told me that as great as it is to be given things and be supported by your community, that it feels even better to be able to give back to the same people who helped you before you were anyone important. Six years after David became my “brother” he is still helping me through the tough times in my life, and is helping me make many important decisions. Although most people would not assume that the best mentor for a seventeen year old girl is an NHL hockey player, David is far from the stereotypical hockey player. He is one of the most generous, caring people and the best mentor I could hope to have.

James Morin, Grade 12

World War Two army veterans are the greatest mentors. They are the greatest veterans because they are generally committed to their families and are very patriotic. Take my mentor Theodore Betke for example; he was a soldier of the German army who was forced to fight by his country. He was taken away from his family, work, and future and was taken as a prisoner of war for ten years by the Russian army. Theodore Betke was originally not someone that I looked up to because he was very strict and seemingly unpleasant. It was not till I was older that he influenced me. I was a child who hated history in and out of school until Theodore tolled me about his strafes in the war. Theodore told me how it affected him and that although it was in the past it is what people are still going through today and that it is not something that should be forgotten. Due to what he told me as a child I have grown to love history and look to it as a future career. Theodore also taught me the importance of being active: through being a relatively active man for his age and is in great physical shape. Due to that I had decide to lose weight and join into extracurricular activities instead of just sitting around all day and playing videogames or watching television. Possibly the most important thing that Theodore has taught me is to always try my best and to always be kind and treat others right. Theodore taught me this by telling me how he had to eat scraps of food that he found in the street because Germany was so poor after the war. These stories showed me to always help others and to never give up and always try to make things better. If I had not met my mentor I would not be doing nearly as well as I am today in school. Instead I would be a lot lazier and I would still be a bully and only caring about myself, I would also not want the career that I do, which is to be a history teacher.

Joanne Baik, Grade 12

A nursing home started out with a negative perspective as a sad place to the point of being afraid of the place, to a fourteen year old girl. After a decision that had been made to fulfill the required hours of volunteering, I had walked into the facility full of people who were in need of accompany. Going around observing the elders throughout the building, there were many people with mental disorders. At first, I was afraid due to the unfamiliar and a new environment I was encountering. However, as I had visited each room in case anyone needed assistance, there was this one old lady who smiled warmly at me and asked me if I wanted to talk to her. With some hesitation, I said that I would. As we talked about many things that had happened in our lives, I respected her the more I talked to her. The more we opened up to each other, the stronger the trust grew between us. To call her my mentor there is not exactly one reason why I would call her that. Through her stories she had told me, I had learned a lot. After I spent time with her, she helped me see life in a different perspective. She had not given me advice directly, but they were all hidden behind her life experience stories, which were then figured out by the end of the day. Visiting the nursing home since then, had given me pure joy due to the time that the lady and I were going to spend. She had basically changed my personality and my attitude towards others. Before I had met her, I was always worried about little things in life which lead to a more sensitive personality. Through her stories, I have learned not to worry and enjoy life because I only have one. All her personal stories she shared with me, concluded for me not to worry. She once stated that worrying makes one ill. If I haven’t decided to fill my volunteer hours at the nursing home my mom had suggested to me, I would not be where I am now. Setting my future goal and working my way towards my dream would not be possible without seeing the world in a different way. If I worried about my future life such as “Am I going to get in University? Am I going to get a good paying job after I graduate?” rather than not working hard at the moment and just worrying about my future only, most likely I would fail to set a goal for myself because of low confidence that had been built up from all the worrying. If I have not met the lady from the nursing home, I would be in a place, a state of mind that would be hard to get back up to strive to fulfill the goal. She had greatly encouraged my steps to live my life to the fullest.

Matin Najafi Haeri, Grade 12

“If a man is to shed the light of the sun upon other men, he must first of all have it within himself.” (Romain Roland).  My mentor is not wealthy, famous or extraordinarily beautiful.  She does not have an amazing career, a car, or a fancy house.  She lives with her physically disabled son, and her hard working husband who spends more than a quarter of the year working away from home.  Not only is she taking care of her nine year old son, but she is also taking courses in college to regain her old position as a high school teacher in her home country.  She still struggles with the English language, and with adjusting to her new lifestyle far away from her family and support system.  Despite all the daily challenges that she faces, she wakes up with a smile on her face every morning.  Her attitude towards life is a positive one.  She has a wonderful sense of humour and laughter is simply part of her existence.  Azar is a close family friend, who over time has become much more than that to me.  She is my friend, my family, and my mentor.  She is a role model to me, who has taught me how to perceive life.  I created this relationship with her last year when I had to move in with someone else as my mom had to take an unexpected trip to Germany due to a family emergency.  Since most of our close family friends are in Toronto, this meant that I had to move to Toronto and switch schools, which was devastating to me.  I chose to move in with her for two months. Although those were some of my toughest days, she made it a great experience for me.  She taught me so much and made me feel great by always being there to comfort me, encouraging me and strengthening me through her words of wisdom.  She taught me to laugh at all times and at all the little things, when all the greater things are not as amusing.  She taught me to find joy and beauty in all aspects of life and she inspired me daily.  Her positive energy strengthened me and helped me endure all the different challenges that I was facing.  She taught me the difference you can make in somebody’s life by simply being willing to support them.  I learned that is the kind of person I want to be; one who laughs no matter what, cares to listen, and finds joy in every day of life.  Having her as my mentor has taught me resilience and courage, and I believe that Azar has done a wonderful job of shedding the light of the sun on me through her mentorship. 

Students in the Hatts Off Program at Rosemount School also submitted a batch of paragraphs, courtesy of their teacher, Katrina Kotecki. They, too, are best read as a group, so we've included them together, below:

Javonn, Rosemount School, Hatts Off Program

My mom has taught me to never give up when I am doing things like school work. I feel angry sometimes because school is too hard. My mom has helped me with everything. She taught me how to clean and how to do chores. She instructed me how to cook and bake. She taught me how to take care of my pet lizard, chihuahua and fish. She taught me how to read. She put me into army cadets. I like that she is a nice mom. She buys really cool clothes, colognes, toys and electronics for me and my siblings. This is why my mom is my mentor.

Santana, Rosemount School, Hatts Off Program

My #1 mentor is tied between two people, Jacque and my grandpa Rossway. Why? Because they both mean so much to me and they have a great life and worked hard to get it. My grandfather lived in Holland and was living with his parents. When he was 12 both of his parents died so he had to move into a orphanage and he had to make something of himself all by himself. He had to do school all by himself, but yet he still made something of himself. My grandfather now travels with his wife, Betty, and has fun and is retired and happy. The reason he is my mentor is because he teaches me life lessons and how to strive in school and be everything I can be, and I love him for that. Jacque is my other mentor because she is smart, beautiful, and a very positive influence. She has definitely made something of herself. The difference between my grandpa and Jacque is that my grandpa taught me life lessons but Jacque teaches me emotional things and how to deal with life’s situations. Jacque makes me smile even though I really want to cry. She believes in me even when I'm down in a dark hole and can’t get out. They both have had a huge impact on my life and I couldn’t thank them enough. I think everyone should have a mentor so they have someone to help guide them through life and give them a positive push to excel in life.

Chante, Rosemount School, Hatts Off Program

My mom is the most memorable mentor in my life. When I was a baby I was very cute and chubby. My mom taught me to know who I am in life. She taught me to cook, clean, walk, ride a bike, and play with toys. She has been a part of who I am today. Now, at the age of fourteen, I can cook on my own, read, swim, and clean my room without help from anyone. My mom also taught me to love and show respect to others around me. I don’t think my life would be the same without my mom. She has been there for me in times of trouble, even when I can’t sleep at night. She is always by my side. She was both a father and a mother to me when my dad passed away when I was a baby.

Gabrielle, Rosemount School, Hatts Off Program

My mentor is Rachel. She is my friend and she is a companion and she is lots of fun. Rachel is very honest and she doesn’t lie to me. She is very beautiful. Rachel was the one who showed me how to be comfortable in my own skin. She showed me how to do my make-up and she taught me to not be afraid about being transgendered. She said being gay is normal and you shouldn’t pretend to be someone else; be exactly who you are. That is why she is my best friend because she treats me like a normal person. She doesn’t look at me like a freak. She means a lot to me and I love her as a great friend.

 

Winner: Rob Fleming

When I started high school, I wasn't very interested in learning. For me, school had always been about memorizing facts, and that kind of rote learning didn't really interest me, even though I was pretty good at it -- or at least I was good at memorizing facts for tests, even though I forgot most of it a few days later. My grade ten history teacher, though, changed all that. I had submitted an essay to her that I thought was pretty good. It had all the "facts" and all the right names and dates. When I got the essay back, I was shocked to see that I had received a very low mark. "You've told me what happened," my history teacher had written at the bottom of the essay, "But you haven't told me why it happened." Over the next two years I had that teacher for three different courses, and her refrain was always the same: "Tell me why, not just what. Dig deeper." Slowly, I got better at doing so, at seeing beneath the obvious surface of things, mostly because my teacher would talk with me after grading my assignments and push me to question the "facts" more and more. By the time I got to university, digging deeper had become second nature for me. And as a result, the world and learning about the world had become infinitely more interesting. I never thought about my history teacher as a mentor till now. But she changed how I learn, so I guess that makes her one!

Honorable Mention

J. Ramirez

I came to this university from a homeland where a history of wars and conficts have made it a challenge for much of the populations to achieve even basic literacy. Like most of my friends, I might have quit school early in my years, and the school would not have even noticed. But I knew that my grandmother would notice such a truancy, and I dared not to provoke her fiery opposition. She made it clear to me that she believed an education was the only way to help myself, my family, and my country. She had not had the chance of a formal education herself, as a child, so she would not let me throw away mine. Every week, when my parents and I visited her, she would ask me what I had learned at school, and why it was valuable. If she was satisfied with my response, she would nod and tell me to study hard again the next week. On the few times when my response did not satisfy, her fierce glare was enough to motivate me for the next few months. My grandmother is no longer in this world, but her belief in the value of an education remains instilled in me deeply.

Co-Winner: Funke Oba

Big uncle taught me that values are caught not taught he never sat me down to teach me anything but every birthday, he would recount how his grandmother, “Yeye” learned of my birth, said “now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace”, laid down and died. Was it that dramatic or uncle taking poetic license? Not sure, but those stories did something for this girl. Each birthday, that girl now living in Canada awaits her story. When you are gone, big uncle, I will still hear you in my ears and I’ll carry you and my memories in my heart forever. When I was starting my college adventure, big uncle was Commissioner for Finance in the state government and was named my guardian. But no!!! Big uncle resigned before I even resumed, because he could not work with a corrupt government, thus depriving me bragging rights as commissioner’s niece. But he gave me something more valuable. A good name is better to be desired than fame, fortune or wealth. In 1986 big uncle had a stroke, becoming paralyzed it seemed like it was over. But no, not this gentle fighter. He has gone on to live 24 more years and by God’s grace beat the odds. A fighter, a survivor extraordinaire, he learned to walk and talk and even write again and continues to be the strong, resilient, soft-spoken, unassuming patriarch of our family. In quietness and in confidence indeed is your strength. Big uncle you’ve constantly reinvented yourself. You epitomize doggedness and determination. You were already 43 when I was born, yet you’ve profoundly impacted my life. Our elders gave us the little kids, trouble for calling you uncle, a term considered disrespectful for one much older than your own father. Told to call you “daddy Agba” we rebelled, for you were no distant foreboding “daddy Agba” to us. My sister, witty, came up with “big uncle”. Starting school as a teenager, you nonetheless went on to earn a doctorate degree, graduating with your son. There’s so much we all can learn and do if we believe. He who does not try is dead, for there is nothing worse than the death of hope. Big uncle, you went ahead at the age of to publish a book which was publicly presented last November marking 50 years of blessing the world with your penmanship, during which you gave us titles such as “Kinsman and Foreman, One Man, One wife” and many more. I personally treasure stories I heard at your feet. Stories of our ancestors, fearless, fair and forthright. Of fortunes acquired and fortunes reversed, of valour, courage and integrity, of a people proud, strong and lofty, standing tall and passing on great legacy and heritage. You inspired and birthed hope and pride in me big uncle. Today, I gladly and humbly call you daddy, daddy agba, big uncle, patriarch, mentor, teacher -- for how you treated us the little kids is the true measure of the greatness you have earned.

Co-Winner: Patrice Hudson, Portland, Oregon

The mentor who has made the biggest impact in my life is Shawn Smallman, Vice Provost for Instruction and Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Portland State University (PSU). Earlier in my life, I’d had other good mentors, but none more memorable than Shawn. Although I am a few years older than he, I look up to Shawn—one of Ontario's finest—with admiration and respect. We first met at a 2003 job interview in the International Studies program at PSU in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I was looking to return to the workforce after staying home for eight years to raise children, newly single at the time and worried about finding my place in the professional world. I had been searching for employment for several months when Shawn called me the day after our interview to offer me the job as his program assistant. He was willing to take a chance on me and I was determined to ensure he not regret it. He had faith in my abilities and charged me with important and meaningful tasks, sometimes more confident in me than I was in myself. He had completed much more schooling than I, yet always engaged me in conversation as his intellectual equal. After a few months I confided in Shawn that I was going through a very difficult divorce, and I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive supervisor. Shawn and his wife had two young daughters and he had always made it clear that family was a priority. He immediately offered me a flexible work schedule which allowed for any necessary juggling of court dates and parental obligations. Most importantly, Shawn suggested I enroll in a graduate program. It had been 14 years since I’d graduated from college and didn’t think I had it in me to manage the class schedule and hours of studying, but with his gentle nudging and ongoing encouragement, I enrolled in one single class. Eventually I hoped to qualify for a better job, but just being in a graduate program also did wonders for my self esteem. It took nearly four years to finish the program, one class at a time, with a perfect 4.0 GPA. When I walked across the platform at commencement in 2008, I made a beeline for Shawn—a member of PSU’s platform party donning his Yale PhD. regalia—to give him a hug of joyous gratitude. His kind mentoring means more to me than he will ever know.

Honorable Mentions

George Wallace

"I'm so sorry that your Dad has died George. You have my sympathy and that of the school." Those were the comforting words of my favourite teacher after my father suddenly dropped dead while I was in grade 12. Miss Siddall, as we called her then, went far beyond the requirements of a high school teacher. In the days when the grade 13 loomed as a milestone she prepared some of her students in grade 11 and 12 for the grade 13 English exam. This was done outside of school hours and required hours of preparation on her part beyond her full teaching load. We students observed that she was always fair. She taught her own sister in that small continuation school and was always pleasant and professional in her attitude. She didn't talk down to us as students but encouraged us and we loved her as our own teacher and friend. Mrs. Hannon, her married name now, still sticks in my mind as my favourite teacher 62 years later.

Alice Cassidy, Associate Director, TAG, University of British Columbia

It was 1987, early September, a Friday, about 4:30 pm. Memorable because I was new to the University of British Columbia, new to doctoral studies, knew few people, and, at the traditional “stop everything and come to drink beer” that characterized every Friday afternoon around the ecology huts, was about to meet a legend in the field of zoology, who I am proud to call a mentor and a friend. I sat down on one of the weathered couches adorning the room. A man with striking white hair and a friendly smile sat down next to me, said hello and asked me about my doctoral research.

Born in the UK, receiving his B.A. from the University of Toronto in 1935, studying then teaching at Oxford University before joining the faculty at UBC in 1961 (the year I was born), Dennis Chitty, who studied population cycles for more than 60 years and was regarded as a world expert on lemmings, had been ‘retired’ for almost a decade when we met. He was a common sight at departmental seminars, social events, riding his bicycle around campus, and at graduate defenses, where, in my case, he warned that he would be there to “throw me a curve ball question”. Here was someone with no connection to my academic committee keeping me on my toes.

Dennis felt strongly that scientists ought be excellent public speakers, and that we could and should describe our work in ways that everyone can understand. Back in the days of cameras and darkrooms, Dennis sought my help to take pictures from a Sherlock Holmes book for an upcoming speech on the scientific method ­– it was one time when I could teach him something!

All through his life, he retained a love for learning. Well into his 90’s, his entertaining presentations, often involving audience participation, were a hit at the meetings of the International Convention of the P.G. Wodehouse Society. I invited him to speak at the UBC Shad Valley Program about being a field biologist. Dennis offered the young audience unexpected but brilliant advice:  “Those who succeed in life are smart enough to make the best use of serendipity.” For me, that serendipity was 23 years ago.

Dennis died recently; right around the time I was deciding to write this piece about him. It seems so fitting. The spirit of Dennis Chitty lives on, through the many thousands with whom he crossed paths, in their pursuit of academic excellence in research and in teaching, in the bridges they build across generations and in their love of asking questions and being lifelong learners.

You can see and hear Dennis for yourself at http://www.skylight.science.ubc.ca/chitty

Beverly Green

My mentor, a woman named Erica, moved out of my life long ago. I only realized she had been a mentor to me years later, when I reflected on what I’d learned from her. I met Erica in a women’s writing group where she and I discovered that we lived close to one another, had same-aged baby girls, and were married to men who were like two peas from the same pod. We became friends. What I learned from Erika was a new approach to life's challenges. I observed in her a quiet confidence, unending patience, and steady strength. She showed me how to give healthy support to someone in need. Erica was a woman knew her obstacles, and she faced them, perhaps with trepidation but without complaint. I knew she was on her own journey of growth and progress, similar to my own, which I'd barely begun; and in a sense, it felt like she was paving the way for me. Many people come and go in our lives, and so often, after they're gone, we don't think about them much. It's not so with Erica, and it must be because she was, and to this day remains, a positive influence in my life. She is my mentor.

Kerri Boehmer

Some of us are blessed to have someone older, patient and wise, who understood us when we were young and searching, helped us see the world as a more profound place, and gave us sound advice to help us make our way through it. Just like Mitch Albom, I am lucky enough to have a Morrie Schwartz in my life. As a typically self-centered teenager, I never recognized the impact that some teachers had on me and I took their advice and guidance for granted. It was not until I became a teacher that I began to acknowledge what a formidable task it was to be a potential role model for the next generation. It is a daunting responsibility and nobody can deny that a caring teacher can have a lasting impact. My ‘Morrie’ not only helped guide me through the tumultuous teen years, but has continued to be an influential force in my life thirty years later. The role of mentor is still the foundation of our relationship, but it has morphed into a treasured friendship. It is only to be expected that someone who has such an impact in our past will naturally become a valued part of our future. I know that I am just one of many former Bluevale students that fondly recall feeling like I mattered because of the attention and affection of George Hunsberger. I believe I am teacher today because of his influence, and I continue to strive each and every day to positively impact the lives of my students. If I can impact one child during my career the way that George has impacted me, then I will know that I have made a difference in this world. Thank you “Morrie” for making a difference in my world and for inspiring me to reach out and mentor the next generation.

Donna Ellis, Interim Director

We can have mentors of all ages who can help us prepare for and understand the varying experiences of our lives. My oldest son teaches me what it’s like to be a 12-year-old boy in ways that another parent could not. But what happens when a mentor leaves us before we feel we’re ready? One of my dearest mentors is my mother. A mother who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She has taught me more things than I can count (like how to make her mouth-watering butterscotch pie) and has shown me ways of being that I cannot always attain. But now she forgets even simple things like where she lives or who visited her last, and it’s hard to have a meaningful conversation with her. I can’t really ask her now the ins and outs of being middle-aged, how to handle (and survive!) teenage boys, or how to make pickled beets. You think you’ll have a mentor for as long as you need them, but the reality is that often you don’t. I guess then what you get is their voice in your head, telling you what you think they would say. And maybe that’s how it’s meant to be. We have to be ready to go it alone at some point – and be thankful for all the preparation that we received along the way.

Mary Power, CTE Liaison for Science

As I think about the mentors in my life for this Loving to Learn Day I find myself reflecting on my life journey to date and remembering the many fine people who have supported and guided me along my path. To choose one is certainly not easy. I could write about Joe Lam, my professor at Guelph, who instilled the love of Microbiology in me and guided me to my next step and to his mentor and then mine, Bill Costerton, my PhD supervisor. I could write about either of those wonderful mentors or a number since, but perhaps my “middle-agedness” is kicking in so I will go even further back in time and out of the classroom. For five years my high school rowing coach, Jim Maltychuk, was an extremely important figure in my life. I know I am not the only one who thought that way about Jim. The number of his former oarsmen and women that turned up to his funeral in 2007 was astounding! So what did Jim do that was so special? He dedicated his life to his sport and his students. He gave us strong guidance both on and off the water, and trust and freedom as well. He taught by modeling complete dedication, a strong work ethic, loyalty, perseverance, commitment and the importance of true teamwork. When we let him down or failed (and we did) he would be there to pick us back up again and point us back in the right direction, He quietly expected that we give our best at everything we did. Perhaps though most importantly, he cared deeply about each and every one of the students who sat in one of his boats…..for life. Thank you Jim.

Mark Morton, Senior Instruction Developer, Emerging Technologies

I've had many mentors, ranging from my parents (David and Lois Morton), to my PhD supervisor (James Carscallen), to my wife (Melanie Cameron). The one I'd like to focus on at this moment, though, is my dog Farley. Farley and I acquired each other in 1997. I had made a visit to the Winnipeg Humane Society with the intention of choosing a dog to take home. Farley made that choice easy: while the other twenty or so dogs were barking and howling like crazy in their cages, Farley sat in his kennel with quiet equanimity. When his large, brown eyes met mine it was as if he were saying to me, "Ah, here you are at last." Over the next twelve years, Farley showed me what it meant to be loyal, loving, and forgiving. When he died in October, at the age of fourteen, and I lay him in a grave in our backyard, wrapped in one of my t-shirts, I realized that if I've acquired any wisdom in my life, much of it came from Farley.