“Buying into the WISE mentoring experience, investing in and committing to your mentees and the program, is rewarding for everyone involved,” promises Jodi Maddren, a physical education teacher and WISE mentor at Ithaca High School.

For 10 years, Jodi has “worked alongside students in a supporting capacity—acting as a soundboard, offering advice and criticism in productive way.”

Jodi’s favorite part of the mentoring process is “watching the student transformations that take place. Every student I have ever worked with undergoes a personal transformation at some point during the WISE journey,” said Jodi. “Regardless of how their project turns out—whether it is amazing or lackluster—the student always learns something about themselves. Students are always successful on some level in WISE.”

To help students succeed, Jodi identifies three primary ways that mentors can invest in their mentee:

1. Make time to care about your mentees.
2. Let your mentees know that you are there for them no matter what.
3. Remember your role. Sometimes it can be hard not to provide too much advice and assistance as a mentor, but you have to take a step back and remember that this is the student’s project. The student needs to experience every aspect—good or bad.

WISE students are not the only ones to be changed by WISE–so are mentors. “Great mentors also grow alongside their mentees,” said Jodi. “They need to see, feel, and determine how their mentee is progressing (or not) and adjust their mentoring style accordingly. Being a mentor is a chance to change your life and your students’ lives,” Jodi continued. “It is transformative.”