New Mentor Program Pairs High School Seniors with Senior Adults

Wylie ISD high school seniors gathered at the Community Park Center, formerly the Wylie Senior Recreation Center, to launch the Wylie Senior2 Mentor Program, where they were paired with senior adults for a year-long mentorship.

Each student and mentor will meet once a month in hopes of building a meaningful connection.

The program is operated by the Community Park Center in partnership with Wylie ISD to connect senior students with seniors 55+ in a mentoring relationship.

“Connecting with our district theme of Legacy, the purpose of the program is to share life perspectives between a younger and older generation to benefit education, future career goals and to create a connection with someone who can provide a viewpoint from a lifetime of experience,” Joley Martin, Wylie ISD Family Liaison said.

The first meeting took place over a 30-minute lunch, marking the start of their mentoring journey.

Though they had plenty to discuss and the conversations flowed effortlessly, participants were provided with conversation starters.

“Every month, our questions align with the Wylie ISD character pillars,” Martin said. “I think the program is bridging a gap and creating a meaningful relationship with somebody.”

Wylie Senior Recreation Center’s Guest Services Specialist, Angela Daniel, worked with the district to facilitate the program.

“I've wanted to do this since my son was a senior in 2016,” Daniel said. “Seeing how he was about to go into the world on his own, I knew that he could benefit from something like this.”

Wylie High School senior Collin Fletcher said he signed up to participate in the program to “have fun.” He and his mentor connected through their love of the outdoors.

“We both like to hunt and fish,” Fletcher said.

Mentor Ann Sims said she enjoyed getting to know her mentee and can’t wait to see her at next month’s meeting.

“I was really impressed with my girl,” Sims said. “She’s already accepted to university and has a job.”

Mentor Judy Chiles expressed her excitement about getting to know her mentee better and hopes to inspire and support him throughout their journey together.

“My senior has two jobs and wants to be a policeman,” Chiles said. “He doesn’t plan to go to college, but we talked about how he would have to go to the police academy. I’m hoping I can give him some of my life experience. Maybe he can learn from things I've done wrong and things I’ve done right.”

The seniors will meet once a month until graduation. The district hopes this program fosters lasting mentorships and friendships that endure for a lifetime. Daniel agrees.  

“They can both learn from each other,” Daniel said. “I am so pleased with our first meeting and can't wait to see how it progresses in the months ahead. I hope it takes off and grows each year.”