Mentor Someone

January 9

Act #9:  Believe in someone else and take the time to show them that you do.

Four years ago I met then freshman, Jamie Nunnery in a Berea College "What Not to Wear" planning committee.  She was 17 and walked in with a Miley Cyrus folder.  I remember thinking to myself, who the heck is Miley Cyrus!?  She was beaming, full of life and ready to take on the world - her energy actually took my breath away.  In my former life as alumni director of Berea College, I spent the next four years working alongside Jamie, who was a Berea Ambassador, and I literally watched her grow and blossom right before my very eyes.  This week, Jamie was just accepted to the prestigious Teach for America program.  She will be based in South Carolina.  She will be impacting young lives and the world around her in monumental ways.  As I reflect on our countless coffee dates and lunchtime chats about her aspirations, her hopes, her future, I find myself beaming with pride about the strong, focused, and compassionate young woman she has grown to become.  While I hope that I've been able to pass on some of my life experiences and lessons learned to the next generation of feminists, I know for certain that MY life is indeed richer, fuller, and more meaningful for having known Jamie Nunnery.