ORLANDO, Fla. — Finding solid role models for school-age kids can be tough.
- Apopka High asst. principal never gave up on efforts to recruit mentors
- Photo of Marcia Owens outside with a sign inspired many to help
- OCPS Minority Achievement Office is working to recruit 1,000 mentors
- Get more Orange County coverage
Apopka High School Assistant Principal Marcia Owens found that out firsthand when she first tried to expand the district’s mentor program into her school.
But her drive and commitment to help kids is now bringing in dozens of community members ready to help.
Inside Wheatley Elementary School, Ras’Julian Athill and Shannon Simons took a quick break from class to talk to Sylvester Smith. The third and fourth-grader chat with Smith about everything from what cars they want to drive when they get older, to future careers, and posture.
“He was like, asking us questions. Questions that no one really asks us,” said fourth-grader Simons.
Serving as a mentor to kids in Apopka for the past three years, Smith knows how important these talks are.
“I just think it’s paramount for them to see where I came from, the ways I could help them, giving advice, guidance, support,” Smith said.
That need led Marcia Owens to bring mentors into Apopka High School. She tried newsletters with no response, public meetings with just one person coming out. Then, she made a sign and stood out on a corner, asking for help from the community.
“People would wave, they would honk, they would scream out, ‘Great job,’ but I’d be like, ‘Hey we need you — call the school,” Owens said.
At first, nothing happened. But she didn’t give up.
“And I was like you know what, I’m going out again, I’m going to give this thing a try,” Owens said. “So I went out there, and thank God.”
The next time brought success. A photo of Owens on Facebook touched many wanting to help, a big relief for her.
“Oh you have no idea. I was like, ‘Oh wow! Yes!’”
At her school, more than 100 people in the community have signed up since Owens stood outside with her sign, ready to help students at Apopka High School.
“Hearing it from someone other than mom and dad and other than a teacher or administrator, for some reason it resonates. And again, puts that spark into that child to say hey, I can do this,” Owens said.
The mentoring programs in neighboring schools help get kids excited about schools, finding support from caring adults that gets them ready to take ownership, and pride in their future.
“I’m probably going to stay with it,” said Ras’Julian Athill. “You learn a lot.”
“I think it’s fun that somebody care about us,” Simons said. “And sometimes they’ll come into our classroom and help us with some of our work because like, my reading is a little bit off.”
The OCPS Minority Achievement Office is working to recruit 1,000 mentors into all 199 schools to help the more than 200,000 students, specifically targeting mentors for boys and young men of color. But the district is in need of mentors for girls, too, and is taking applications for all schools.
For more information on how you can get involved or apply to be a mentor, visit the district's website.