An eighth-grade boy who’s been part of nonprofit that helps empower middle school students shares how his mentors have helped him. Camilla Rambaldi reports for the NBC4 News at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, one Los Angeles-based nonprofit is sharing tales about the positive impact its mentors have had on their students and how those who would like to help can get started.
Los Angeles Team Mentoring (LATM) pairs hundreds of volunteer mentors with middle school-aged students to help them foster their skills, become comfortable with who they are and offer sound guidance. Its program includes virtual meetings for participants with their mentors and leadership camps during the summer.
During the virtual meetings, mentors use an interactive curriculum to teach their students. The nonprofit’s goal is to “guide middle school students growing up in challenging urban environments to recognize and reach their full potential as members of our community.”
“They really made me feel cared about because they understood my problems lot more than I expected them to be,” Jonathan Cerritos, a LATM student, said of his mentors.
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According to Cerritos’ mother, the boy found a community within the program that’s helped him become more comfortable in his skin. He joined the program two years ago after he was bullied at school.
“It was really hard for me because to see him that he comes crying, ‘Mom, they called me this. Mom, they called me that.’ I didn’t know what to do,” said Evelyn Osorio, Cerritos’ mother. “I can see a big change on him, on his attitude.”
Mentors for the program come from different walks of life and include teaches, entrepreneurs and executives across the community.
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“We come in and we try to guide them, support them, fortify them with good mentoring and a good curriculum to really help improve their self-esteem because at the end of the day when they improve their self-esteem, they make better choices,” said William Figueroa LATM Director of Programs.
For more information on LATM, or to enroll a child or become a mentor, click here.
