MOUNT VERNON — Since before 1986, the Kenyon College Off-Campus Activities Program in Psychology has provided opportunities for Kenyon students to become involved in a variety of activities in the Knox County area. One of those, in collaboration with the Knox County Educational Service Center, teams Kenyon students with gifted and talented elementary school pupils from throughout the county. Once a week the mentors and mentees meet to study in depth a topic of the children’s choice.
On May 1, those pupils and their mentors participated in the annual Kenyon Mentorship Tea to showcase the projects they have been working on this semester.
John Jurkowitz, program coordinator for the KCESC, said he is happy the county offers the mentorship program.
“It’s important to the students, the parents and their teachers,” he said. “Research shows one of the best ways to help a talented, bright, gifted child is to mentor him or her. The Kenyon mentors here tonight have followed in a rich tradition of Kenyon students who have made a huge influence on the lives of our elementary students.”
He also said Kenyon College is so dedicated to the mentorship program and the children of Knox County that it provided transportation to the mentors who had no way to travel to the assigned elementary buildings.
Nicole LaFetra and Emily Burns serve as the OAPP liaison to the mentor program, and help match the mentors with the elementary learners. At the spring tea, Jurkowitz surprised Burns, a graduating senior, with a plaque of appreciation for her efforts on behalf of the children.
“It’s as much fun for us as it is for them,” she said.
Kenyon mentor Harry Jackson, a freshman from Connecticut, said he enjoyed his mentoring experience at Danville Elementary. He helped Garrett Hughes and Craig Mickley work on their baseball books.
“It’s fun to get to know the kids,” he said, “I just like to work with kids and get involved with the community. I would definitely do it again.”
Gunnar Gregory and his fellow Centerburg third-grader, Thomas Armstrong, researched the different types of aircraft in World War II. Their Kenyon mentors were Caitlin Addlesperger and Katy Day. Gunnar said he likes the mentorship program.
“You get to miss school and it’s fun,” he said. “We get to learn about some of the stuff that we like.”
Gunnar’s mother, Tonia Gregory said, “As a teacher and as a mother, I think the mentor program gives an opportunity for your high-achieving students to pursue something that is interesting to them that’s above and beyond the classroom duties [that are very important]. It teaches them how to research at a young age and prepare a public presentation. I think it’s a very nice way to enrich the kids.”
Spring mentorship Kenyon mentors, pupils’ school and grade level, pupils’ names and project titles include:
Harry Jackson, Danville second-graders Craig Mickley and Garrett Hughes, “Baseball Books”; Selene Rosenberg, East Knox first-graders Alexis Bostick and Kelsey Chadwick, “Horses”; Stephanie Carlson-Flynn and Jenny Fitzgerald, Centerburg third-graders Sarah Wheeler and Iris Miller, “American Girl Dolls and History.”
Caitlin Addlesperger and Katy Day, Centerburg third-graders Gunnar Gregory and Thomas Armstrong, “Aircraft of World War II”; Kaitlyn Myers, Fredericktown first-graders Hannah Driggs and Jack Fitzpatrick, “Dragons”; Ayesha Akhtara, Centerburg third-graders Bailey Irwin and Gavin Thatcher, “Lego Mania”; Megan Wilhelm, Danville first-graders Madysen Bower and Julia Rine, “Walt Disney World.”
Tracey Farris, Fredericktown second-grader Devyn Brake, “Disney Characters and Devyn’s Dogs”; Rachel Goheen, Fredericktown second-grader Brooklyn Williams, “Hannah’s Story”; Nora Erickson, Fredericktown second-grader Zoe Parker, “Dogs and a Dog Treat Machine Inventor”; Sarah Dougherty, Centerburg third-graders LeighAnn Vargo and Hannah Ervin, title unavailable; and Reena de Lanerolle, East Knox second-graders Brett Wilson and Spencer Enderle, title unavailable.
