"As soon as I walked over to him, he said, 'I knew I was going to get someone with a moustache,'" said Kevin Beavers, the city of Temple's parks and facility maintenance superintendent, about his assigned student Journey Hutchinson, 11, a fifth-grader at Hector P. Garcia Elementary School.
"I've been very excited all week to meet my mentor," Hutchinson said.
The district began the mentoring program this year in an effort to give students the opportunity to experience positive one-on-one relationships and community support.
"I have a passion for helping kids," Beavers said. "Through the parks department, I'm always working with them, and I thought that this would be a good way to develop a consistent relationship with one."
Friday's kick-off event was held at the Ralph Wilson Youth Club. Following lunch, the students and mentors were matched up, then given the chance to get to know each other.
"I talked to him about food, animals and movies," said Hutchinson of Beavers.
TISD spokeswoman Regina Corley said the district nominated students to participate in the program through their parents, teachers and campus counselors. The mentors and students were matched based on questionnaires they filled out about their hobbies and interests.
"This is exciting for everyone involved, especially the students," Corley said. "Everything worked out as well today as we could ask - and the students couldn't be happier."
The district has targeted Garcia, Kennedy-Powell, Jefferson, Thornton and Western Hills elementary schools.
Corley said the mentors are asked to meet with students for an hour per day, at least once every other week on campus.
Randy Morris, a Temple salesman, said he decided to become involved after hearing about the program through the Temple Bible Church. Morris was matched with Alec Ruiz, 11, a fifth-grader at Kennedy-Powell.
"I just want to help out, and get to know him. I want him to feel like he can have someone to talk to and trust," Morris said. "We talked about food today - we both agreed that we like hot wings."
Sara Rogers, 22, a nurse at Scott & White Memorial Hospital, was one of the younger mentors at Friday's event -she was paired with Nixi Hernandez, 11, a fifth-grader at Garcia.
"I just want to make a difference, and encourage her to pursue her education," said Rogers, who heard about the program through church. "I have been blessed and given so much, I just feel like it's my turn to give back to other people."
dfearson@temple-telegram.com
