Bridget O’Connor was named the 2015 “Tom Murphy Mentor of the Year” at the Communities In Schools of Federal Way Annual Fundraising Breakfast. O’Connor started with her mentee Janae when she was in 5th grade. This year, she started her high school journey at Todd Beamer and O’Connor is looking forward to being there when she crossed the graduation stage and gets her diploma.
Janea says she immediately felt comfortable talking to Bridget. “Having Bridget as my mentor helps me stay more focused. She listens but doesn’t judge. She gives me advice or just helps me see things differently. Whenever we get together, there’s always laughing.”
O’Connor admits she was nervous at first. “Then I saw that smile for the first time and we talked about food, Spongebob, family, friends and games. I knew Janae was my perfect match! Over the years, I fell in love with this little girl, with mentoring, and with Communities in Schools and their mission to end HS drop-outs. ”
Communities In Schools of Federal Way has approximately 150 volunteer mentors who meet with students one hour one day a week during the school year. For more information about mentoring please contact Jennifer Youngblood at 253.529.7440 or jennifery@cisfederalway.org