The Power of a Mentor

When I was first signed up for my mentorship, I was skeptical. I’d never had a mentor before, and I thought that it singled me out as more needy and distressed than everyone else I knew. I considered myself normal, and I thought mentors were for troubled kids that needed to be dealt with. However, I was more enthusiastic when I met my mentor, former competitive surfer Debi Spindelman, who is sunny and bright, has an incredibly positive attitude, and generally embraces life.

I had first signed up for this mentorship program through Club Xcite mainly at my parents’ request, because they felt that I wasn’t getting enough exercise and that Debi could help me get active. But our hangouts turned out to be much friendlier and more enjoyable than the average exercise regime.

First of all, Debi showed me lots of scenic local hiking spots, all within a few miles of my neighborhood. We hiked a mountainous trail up on the bluffs in Encinitas, with a beautiful view of the ocean. We would generally stay up on the main trails, but would sometimes take the occasional excursion onto the less-traveled paths. One time, we managed to get lost in the wilderness of Olivenhain and had to bushwhack our way back to the road.

Debi and I had many interesting conversations whilst we hiked, ranging from our opinions on current events to personal dilemmas. It was a little awkward at first, but we had lots of fun as time passed and we got to know each other.

During the Democratic primaries, Debi and I discussed our views, and the views of others we knew, on the finer points of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. On many morning hikes we would consult each other for opinions and advice on new or ongoing issues in our lives. One day I asked Debi if she had any ideas in regards to a theme for my 16th birthday party. She came up with a brilliant one: that my friends and I could make artsy T-shirts that would be personal and fun. Excited, I went and bought plain T-shirts, iron on paper, fabric pens, and decorative fabric. It was such a success that long after my party many of my friends still wore their homemade shirts to school. Debi also helped me consider college, career options, and my future beyond school. I can look at what she’s done and the choices she’s made and compare them to my personal options and desires for my future. Because Debi has already been through many of life’s trials and tribulations, her perspective is often intriguing and helpful.

My goal this summer was to exercise daily, and as a celebration, Debi offered to take me shopping in L.A. at the end of the summer (Debi has an awesome sense of style, and we’ll be visiting L.A.’s finest thrift stores). Once I formed a habit of exercising, it became easier and I even looked forward to it. Eventually I began to weight-train on my own time in addition to cardio-vascular activity and it’s improved my mood and generally made me feel better.
Overall, my experience with Debi has been very fulfilling and I look forward to spending more time with her.