National Mentoring Month is a time to recognize the role that mentors play in the lives of their mentees. Mentors come in many forms, and at Alliance, there is a cyclical nature of mentorship, where mentees become mentors to others.
Check out our inspiring mentor-mentee pairs from our Care Management, Treatment Adherence, and Community Engagement programs!
LUIS AND MOLLY
Luis Viera told us that his mentor, Molly Kellman, has always been there to provide positive feedback and sound advice during and after his fieldwork. “While working in the office, she always provides the opportunity to assist on important caseloads and also take trainings or certificates.” This has made Luis confident enough to share his story in POZ and for World AIDS Day in AM New York.
Luis Viera
Molly is “amazed by how well he connects with the clients. Luis is incredibly self-motivated and uses his experiences to work with clients and our staff with compassion and empathy.”
DENISE AND IVAN
Denise Jones says her supervisor Ivan Lopez has many great qualities but “the ones that made the biggest impact are that he is respectful, available, and a great listener. He gives honest and direct feedback and I love his nonjudgmental approach that he shows with me and all our clients.”
Ivan began mentoring in 2016 and has been mentoring Denise for over two years. “What started out with just myself and Denise has now grown across several Ryan Clinics and I could not have done it without her compassion and assistance. She at times mentors me in being more patient with myself and continues to be a shining example of professionalism.”
LUIS, EVELYN, and DAYRIN
Luis Velazquez II has grown under the mentorship of Evelyn English. “Ms. English has helped me focus on my writing since my first day with her in 2018. I’ve become confident in writing my reports because of her patience.”
And he adds, “Ms. Vargas has shown is our team lead and values everyone’s input. She has a flair for multitasking, even while on the phone, which has made for interesting conversations.” Luis spoke about how her patience and gentle nature are something program participants often comment on.
And it’s a two-way street. Ms. Vargas feels Luis has grown tremendously since they began working together in October 2019. “Working with Luis is great. He accompanies our clients to the HRA office, provides translation services, assists them with housing needs, and most importantly, they feel COMFORTABLE speaking to Luis. It will be impossible to complete all tasks on time without having Luis as my Peer. I have been blessed.”
SHIRLEY AND ARIANNE
Shirley considers herself fortunate to have Arianne Watson, Director of Outreach and Community Engagement as a mentor. “She motivates and encourages me to acquire new skills in addition to giving sound advice. Thank you, Arianne!”
Arianne (left) with Shirley (right) and Shirley’s grandchildren, who came to multiple Alliance holiday events through the years (pre-pandemic)
Arianne told us that “Shirley is a pleasure to be around. She is gentle, kind, and joyous to everyone she meets. She strives to be a positive role model by continuing her education, attending trainings, and absorbing as much knowledge as possible.”
DONALD AND SAMUEL
Donald Ensley called Samuel Rodriguez “my mentor for the last ten years and like a father figure, friend, confidant, and very supportive. I have learned and have matured in ways I thought couldn’t be possible, thanks to the support and direction of my mentor, Samuel.”
Samuel recalls how Donald has grown over the years. “Donald at first was so quiet and would check in with me before he did anything. I told Donald that I wanted him to come up with the topic for the group. He would come up with a topic and I would ask him questions on how he would start the group and how he would keep the group going. It took some time but Donald now runs our Treatment Chat group every Tuesday, by himself.”
“Donald now makes decisions and can run the Pharmacy Access Center by himself, without second-guessing himself. As a Mentor, it is a great feeling seeing someone grow and become independent. But as a mentor, you need to be open because Peers have so much information and they definitely help you do your job. They know how things are run, here at Alliance. One has to be able to listen to the Peers - so it has become a win–win!”