Meeting Isiah

The Scene

The library at James A. Gregory Academy in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood was a nicely air-conditioned and colorful open space on the second floor. I’ve walked into many public schools in my time that were dark, scuffed, cluttered and claustrophobic. But, everything about Gregory was light and lively. There was a lot going on this particular day and into the evening when I arrived – a book fair, some school activities and club meetings, and the Spark Match Event.

The Spark Match Event is the moment when Spark mentors like me meet their students for the first time. I joined a group of 31 adults in the school library; all had signed up for this same experience and were patiently waiting for instructions.

The Mentors 

It was immediately clear that some mentors knew each other. Spark has a number of companies now that routinely host five or more students – indeed some take 30, 40, 50 and more. Given that our model is both staff intensive and highly affected by travel and logistics (students commute from their school campus to their mentors’ workplaces for each apprenticeship session), having larger numbers of students going to one place is a more scalable approach. However, we still have plenty of what I call "onsies" and "twosies," those small businesses and nonprofits that host a student or two. Spark itself counts in that category thanks to employee mentors.

Meeting Our Students 

After a good 45-minute refresher training from two of Spark's program staff, it was finally time for us all to venture downstairs to the auditorium where a group of eager, earnest and excited seventh and eighth graders awaited us with their families.

We were all given the name of our student on a piece of paper, along with a word that was described as “one part of a famous pair.” It’s a cute way to connect the students and mentors and make the "mentoring matches." My slip read “Isiah,” and the term “ham.”

As we entered the expansive room, about 10 students were grouped in front of us. They were each clad with a bright blue polo shirt, adorned with the Spark logo – a thoughtful gesture entirely conceived and created by the teachers and administrators at Gregory.

As the particular group of students standing directly in front of me constituted only one boy and the rest girls, it was pretty obvious whom I should approach. Sure enough, Isiah had a cut of paper of his own with the term “green eggs” on it. And so the match was confirmed. He looked straight at me with a striking wide smile, extended his hand to meet mine, and we greeted.

Getting to Know Each Other 

I was struck not only by how genuine and poised this young man was, but also how comfortable and gracious the initial interaction was. Neither of us felt forced. We were both clearly interested to learn about each other. I began peppering Isiah with questions: 

• “Where do you live?” – just down the street.  
• “Who’s your family?” – mom, stepdad, and two younger sisters.  
• “What food do you like?” – all kinds, especially french fries and crab legs. 
• “What’s your favorite movie?” – favorites in each category, like comedy, action, sci-fi. 
• “What sports do you like?” – basketball and football.

He wanted to introduce me to his mom, who was sitting at the front of the auditorium, so he escorted me down the aisle. When I first saw her, it became clear where this young man got his energy and engaging affect, as well as his big bright smile. Isiah’s mother was effusive, telling me how thrilled she was that her son had this amazing opportunity to participate in Spark. She also wished she had something like Spark when she was growing up. I was really taken by her. Her overt happiness gave me a lift. The cool, almost-best-friend-like interplay she and Isiah displayed was infectious. I just wanted to smile the whole time.

We sorted out all the logistics – him taking the El, me picking him up at the station, making sure his mom had my number. I showed him a picture of the Spark office, so he knew where he’d be spending his time. I confess I felt a bit insecure that he wouldn’t be going to a swanky office on an upper floor of a big high rise like he would have done with one of our company partners. But, I know the adventure for him will be much the same nonetheless.

I left that evening thinking a lot about all the mentors engaged with Spark this session – nearly a thousand, from all stripes, many different fields and all sorts of companies. I wondered what their Match Event experience was like. Did they experience the same emotions? Did they connect with their student? Did they feel emboldened as I did? Did they feel ready to start an amazing experience with a cool kid?

Soothing the Anticipation

I think my team is toying with me. I’ve signed up to mentor a student this fall and they haven’t yet told me who the young person is. I don’t have a name. I don’t have a profile. I have no knowledge of interests or aspirations. Surely this is all meant to heighten my anxiety.

After all, I do feel a bit anxious. Committing to mentor a young person is a serious matter. I feel a weight of responsibility. I believe it is on my shoulders to succeed, to give the student an amazing, perhaps transformative, learning experience. That’s a lot to expect of myself. Am I up to the task?

The research is increasingly clear on the power of mentoring. Young people who have a mentor are 50 percent more likely to go on to college than those who had no mentor, according to a survey published earlier this year by the National Mentoring Partnership. Data like this only ups the pressure.

Fortunately for me, as for all the volunteers in Spark, our program is a structured mentoring approach.  Members of Spark's program team – an energetic group of professionals – know what they’re doing. As a mentor, I participated in training and have access to a suite of resources to guide me in the experience.  There is a concrete timeframe – 10 weeks, a couple hours each week. There’s a specific skill to focus on each week with your student – networking, goal-setting and problem-solving are the first three. There is a host of example activities and resources we can use for the project my student and I will work on.  And since Spark has run so many of these apprenticeships, there are hardly any circumstances that haven’t materialized previously and, therefore, been planned for. It’s as turnkey as you can get.

This is soothing to a degree. But, I think I’m not alone when I say I want my mentoring experience to be extraordinary – certainly for my student, and hopefully for me also. I want my student to be among the ones more likely to succeed in school and go on to college. I have high expectations.

You’d think I’d have some pull around here, enough to at least get the name of the student I will mentor! I’m anxious to learn who it is, to have our first encounter, to plan our apprenticeship, to have some laughs and some serious exploration. The anticipation is surely building.

We Are All Mentors

Jason Cascarino
Spark Chief Executive Officer & Mentor

Having the privilege to run a nonprofit centered on mentoring, I find myself routinely reflecting on the power of that practice. It’s been a time-honored – indeed, ancient – method of teaching and learning for young and old alike.

All of us have been mentored at many stages in life. Some relatively brief stints and others longer term relationships. The three that stand out for me run the gamut: a high school coach, a college professor, and my first boss. 

Sure, I’ve had terrific teachers in my life, to say nothing of great family role models who have shaped who I am. But, I admittedly gravitate more toward that small group of wise counselors who took me under their wing for a time. Most continue to do so even today. They are the first I call when I have reason. And when I don’t have one, I make one up, knowing full well I will invariably find something I need that I wasn’t even looking for.

I remember once profusely thanking one of these great influencers for affecting me so much. He all but looked embarrassed accepting the compliment, in an “aw, shucks” sort of way. In part, I think, to deflect, he simply charged me with being a mentor myself. A pay it forward kind of sentiment.

So I’ve taken on mentoring myself – mostly with people who work for me, although I’d like to think my kids see me as a mentor as well. For many people, the mentor-pupil relationship evolves rather organically. You may not even realize it until the relationship has shifted. Your employee leaves, for example, and they tell you how much they’ve learned from you. There are few comments more satisfying.

Now, I’m going to be a mentor for Spark. I’m just shy of nine months into my stint as CEO of Spark, this amazing opportunity to lead an extraordinary group of folks who have been serving thousands of young people all across the country. The spirit and energy my colleagues exude have given me a strong desire to experience this compelling idea first hand and at its core.

Being part of a formal program, the mentoring relationship I’m about to embark upon is both more intentional and more structured. And in some ways, the impact can be more dramatic. The young people we work with are seventh and eighth graders who are showing some signs of disengagement from school. The fact is, most young people at this age show these signs. Unfortunately, students in some communities lack the guidance, support and access to opportunities to help them navigate these challenging years.

I’m delighted to get the chance to mentor in this way, and to document it in this venue. This fall, I’ll be joining nearly a thousand professional men and women from large corporations, small companies, public agencies and nonprofits taking on one-on-one mentoring relationships with young people across four major metropolitan regions Spark serves – San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia. Together, we are shooting for no less than offering exciting, and possibly in some cases life-altering, learning experiences that ensure young people at this critical age are engage, on-track and ready to succeed in high school, college and beyond.

I hope you’ll join me in this adventure: as a follower, as a mentor yourself, as a supporter of Spark and as someone deeply committed to the power of mentoring.