All grown up, a mentee looks back on Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance

Students who are mentored are more likely to graduate college, less likely to become addicted to harmful substances and report better self-esteem than students who don't have strong adult role models. As January is National Mentoring Month, and the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance marks its 25th year of helping local students, former mentee Janeth Contreras looks back at her years in the program with appreciation.

She praised her former mentor, Tina Baldry, for being there for her through a few of life's rough patches and for helping her to make good choices.

"Honestly, with her guidance and with her taking me to different activities with the mentoring alliance it opened up opportunities for me and made a great impact on my life, not just in school, but socially as well," Contreras said.

Baldry began working with Contreras when she was a fifth-grader at Flowery Elementary School and continued mentoring her through graduation and beyond. Contreras said Baldry was always there to talk to, helping her to grow into adulthood and to build healthy relationships.

Although tutoring isn't generally a component of mentoring, Contreras said that Baldry also helped her improve her reading skills. "She would sit and read with me and it helped me so much," Contreras said. "She'd read a page and then I'd read a page. My reading got so much better with her help."

After graduating from high school, Contreras attended Santa Rosa Junior College and is now working in a job she loves, helping people with behavioral and mental health care at Burnett Therapeutic Services. She said she was inspired by her mentor in choosing a career focused on supporting those in need.

Although the formal mentoring sessions ended when Contreras graduated, the two have remained close. Fittingly, Baldry is now mentoring Contreras' sister Jasmin, something that made the whole family happy. "(Baldry) is like family to us," she said.

Baldry said that in mentoring Contreras she has received perhaps even more than she has been able to give. "Working with Janeth and being introduced to her family from Mexico is one of the most enriching things that I've ever experienced," Baldry said.

"Watching Janeth grow from a very quiet, shy girl to a confident woman who really knows what she wants, is her own self-advocate and looks to her future with hope and joy, really has been the greatest gift that I could get mentoring," Baldry said.

Baldry felt embraced by Contreras' parents and she really loves and appreciates that connection. "We wouldn't be able to do this work without the support of the parents," she said. "Having this family embrace me and welcome me to start mentoring their younger daughter Jasmin is just a gift for my life."

Baldry was even invited to travel to Mexico for Contreras' quinceañera celebration, where she met the extended family. It was a memory neither soon will forget. She was invited to attend Jasmin's quinceañera in Mexico as well but had to miss it because of the pandemic.

Contreras is engaged to be married to Victor Caldwell in July and she asked Baldry to play an extra special role.

"My mom asked me who was going to be my maid of honor," Contreras said. "I asked myself who has always been there for me whenever I needed a friend, and I was like, well that's Tina. I was like, who has been there at the most important times of my life, like when I graduated and I was like, well that's Tina."

Contreras giggled when she said that Baldry would be great at planning the bridal shower. Baldry is the program director as well as a mentor at the Mentoring Alliance and she has managed to continue planning scores of fun outings for the mentors and mentees to attend even during the pandemic.

Baldry's work is inspired by a deep love of children. "Seeing the joy that these activities bring to the kids, introducing them to new experiences, expanding their knowledge of the world around them, is just immeasurable," she said. "That spark that I see come alive in the kids, is what inspires me to schedule the next activity."

Baldry is always listening to what the kids' interests are and works to bring those kinds of experiences to the program. "We really want these kids to find what makes them tick, what makes them excited, what makes them want to stay engaged in school and puts value on what their education is going to set them up for," she said.

Mentoring Alliance Executive Director Susie Gallo said that all of their mentees are graduating this year. Some go on to four-year colleges, some to junior colleges or trade schools and some start working right away. "They graduate with a plan," Gallo said.

The mentors have continued working with students and the campus mentoring centers have been able to stay open through the most recent pandemic mandates. "As long as the schools are open, we are open," Gallo said.

Even when the volunteers are cautious about coming onto the school campuses or meeting their mentees in person, they're still making it work. "We have a very, very dedicated bunch and they find ways to really stay connected and support their mentees," Gallo said. "They're using the tricks and tips and strategies that they learned last year when we weren't open."

Every time they match a student with a mentor, they get another nomination. "We still have about 70 students on our waiting list," Gallo said. "We're just constantly in need of more mentors."

Mentors are expected to give an hour a week, with activities provided by the mentor centers and the alliance.

"I would like to encourage people to go and give one hour to a child," Contreras said. "It'll mean a lot to them, it'll make a big impact, especially if they just need a friend. Just sitting down and just talking and playing games or just asking them how their day was, it makes a difference."

In addition to National Mentoring Month, the Mentoring Alliance just marked a quarter-century of serving local youth. "It's just a really wonderful time of year to take a minute and to assess the impact, look around and say wow this is really wonderful that we've been able to continue doing this for almost 26 years," Gallo said.

The nonprofit is stretching out its 25th anniversary celebration because of COVID and have postponed the 25th Anniversary Gala until after it is safe to gather again.

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