Mark Guilbeault – leader of his very own “Breakfast Club”!
Mark Guilbeault is a second-time kids.now volunteer coach-mentor – who shared his weekly experiences with as a kids.now mentor, online.
Just last week, in celebration of National Volunteer Week (April 18 – 24) Mark recieved the first-ever State Farm Good Neighbour Award, presented by kids.now, in recognition of outstanding volunteer commitment to mentoring Canadian youth. A $25,000 contribution will be made to kids.now by State Farm Canada on behalf of Mark.
Mark is a State Farm Agent who coached at McKay Public School in Port Colborne, Ontario, who – according to his school champion: “Mark is extremely dedicated to the students and they greatly respected him and appreciated the time they spent with him.”
Mark’s weekly mentoring diary is a great read – it’s not only inspiring for potential kids.now mentors, but it’s touching too. Throughout his reflections you realize how much of a difference one can really make in the kids.now 12 week program.
Mark’s first day: “Their little eyes met mine, and apparently I hid my fear effectively. I took a quick roll call to get an idea of who was who, and passed around some snacks.”
On the daily pressures of being a Grade 8: “My heart broke hearing about some of the feelings these kids wrestle with every day. How can they not see in themselves what their friends see, and what I could see after only a few hours with them? Each one of these kids is exceptional in their own way, and I guess I feel a little better knowing that by the end of the twelve weeks, they will each see this in themselves a little more.”
A mentor AND a friend: “My kids (they are SO smart!) clued in right away that being a good coach is just like being a good friend. Every aspect of effective coaching (respect for one another, giving advice when asked, encouraging each other, etc…) can also apply to friendship.”
Growing up: “It was really a magical session. It’s sessions like this one that will keep me coming back every time. These kids are growing as individuals, right before my eyes.”
Final Thoughts: “So that’s it. Twelve sessions ago we barely knew each other and there were some moments where I wasn’t sure if these kids would ever really care about each other, but they all came around. If you have ever seen the movie “The Breakfast Club,” it was almost like that. Of course, we weren’t being punished like the group in the movie, but we had our own motley crew of characters, who in the end became great friends.”
Check out Mark’s whole diary OR learn about how you can become a kids.now mentor today!
