Written by: Fatima K M Pinkney
Being a tutor or mentor is a way to help individuals whether it is children or young adults in need of some guidance or assistance in different aspects of their lives; whether it is with school or personal issues. When I decided to tutor it was because I wanted to share my knowledge with my students in the hopes that they would take something out of what I taught them. In high school I went to math tutoring during lunchtime and after school. Also in my second and third year of college I needed a tutor again in my math classes. At first, I was embarrassed and even reluctant because I felt like I should already know this from high school, but math was always difficult for me. I realized having one on one assistance from somebody to help me with my work was better for me because I am the type of person who needs individual assistance since most of the time I learn better that way.
Throughout my years of going to school I learned that is okay to need help once in a while. It takes a big person to admit that they are having trouble. Mentors have a way of showing complete honesty towards you and give you constructive criticism where it best fits. They do their best to help you see things from their perspective in hopes that you can finally see things that you could not recognize before.
In a way, being a mentor or tutor has a way of showing people you have the ability to be a leader. In other words, a civic leader who is a person who spreads community awareness and courage throughout the community in different forms of knowledge, wisdom, and skills with the hopes of making a difference in not just the community, but the world! I learned that to become a civic leader you must be aware of the world around you and the issues this world is facing that is why tutors and mentors play a key role in that. A leader thinks beyond themselves and acts in a selfless manner. My job at DCTMI as a civic leader is to show the people who are less likely to step out of their comfort zone and become part of something bigger than just themselves a way to become involved in their community. When canvassing I noticed how people tend to stick to what they know and leave it at that instead of doing more for their community, but change will never be made unless someone steps up and be brave enough to want to change the dynamics of the world we live in.
