Success Stories

From Teachers
I have been in the teaching profession for 28 years as a Business Teacher. For six years, my Young Entrepreneurs Kansas (YEK) class has been involved with Telementoring. Their mentor provides valuable information and assistance in completing a high-quality Business Plans. I know that my students are mentored by responsible and professional men and women. In a timely manner, they communicate to each other on a level where classroom curriculum and personal interests and hobbies can be discussed. Telementoring gives my students one-on-one help and individual attention from an adult role-model that a teacher can't do. Because of the mentors' knowledge and life experiences, they provide additional information and encouragement to enhance student learning. I have had students who are learning a foreign languages practice their language skills when writing to a mentor who speaks the same language. I am proud to say that in 2008, with the guidance from the mentors, my two students that entered the YEK competition respectively won first and second place.

From Students
Hi, I'm Riley. Last year, in my Entrepreneurship Class I was involved in Telementoring through Pathways to Success. My mentor Byron was really great. He helped me with my business plan which was owning a fitness center called "The Lion's Den." He took time outside of work to visit his local fitness centers to see what they looked like and to see what kind of equipment they had. At the 2008 Young Entrepreneurs Kansas Competition, I won first place. With my scholarship award, I am going to use it toward my college education. After high school, I plan on majoring in Sports Fitness and Management and then go to Medical School.

From Pathways Staff
Since August of 2007, I have been the Telementor Program Assistant for Pathways to Success. During my first year in Telementoring, I had the opportunity to work with students involved in a Career Exploration Project. One student was interested in sports and had Coach Bill Self of the KU Jayhawks as his favorite coach. With the help from his mentor, he studied Bill Self's coaching career to determine how he should become a coach and presented his results by creating a career brochure. His teacher and mentor believed that his brochure was one of the most creative and thoroughly researched projects that they had seen. The student decided to share his completed project by sending an e-mail to his favorite coach with a copy of his finished brochure. His teacher and I helped him edit and review his e-mail message to the coach. I think a week had passed when he received an e-mail response from the office of Bill Self appreciating the brochure and words of encouragement to pursue his dream. During March Madness, the student received a special package from the KU Athletics Department. Proud and excited, he was seriously thinking about taking the next steps in becoming a basketball coach.
From Linda Un, Telementor Coordinator for Pathways to Success

If you have a success story that you would like to share, please e-mail Linda Un (LUN@ku.edu) a one or two paragraph story that includes your name and whether you are a student, teacher, or staff member.