Influence a Teen's Life by Becoming a Mentor
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 8:12 am
Taking the time to become a mentor to a teen seems like a long-term commitment that many people feel unable to fit into their already-busy schedules. But as little as a few hours a month can have a tremendous impact on the life of a teen.
Teens who have mentors are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, engage in violence and experience depression. Instead, they are more likely to increase their confidence, engage in productive activities and stay motivated to accomplish what they set out to achieve.
"Youth mentoring is a highly effective public health intervention," said Dr. Jay A. Winsten, an associate dean at the Harvard School of Health. "Research has shown that programs that rely on volunteer mentors can play a powerful role in reducing drug abuse and youth violence, while greatly enhancing a young person's prospects for leading a healthy and productive life."
It is partially for these reasons that President Barack Obama declared January National Mentoring Month. Said Obama in a statement about National Mentoring Month:
We know the difference a responsible, caring adult can make in a child's life: buck them up when they're discouraged; provide tough love when they veer off track; being that person in their lives who doesn't want to let them down, and that they don't want to let down; and refusing to give up on them -- even when they want to give up on themselves.
Studies have shown that young people in mentoring phone number data get better grades in school, they're less likely to drink, they're less likely to do drugs. And you ask any successful person how they got to where they are today, chances are they'll tell you about a mentor they had somewhere along the way.
Obama pointed to the influence of mentors in the lives of many well-known and accomplished American figureheads:
The great poet and author Maya Angelou didn't discover poetry until her mentor took her to the tiny library at her school and challenged her to read every book in the room. Co-founder and CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, was an incorrigible troublemaker until his 4th grade teacher took him under her wing and convinced him to focus on math instead of mischief. That turned out pretty well. Ray Charles first discovered his gift for music when, at the age of three, his next-door neighbor taught him how to play the piano. And it was the enthusiasm of her mentor, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, that drew Dr. Carol Greider to the groundbreaking work in genetics that would win both of them the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
These days, many parents are working longer hours to support their families, often leaving little time for them to take an active role in the lives of their children. That can leave children without a positive adult role model to encourage them to work hard and inspire them to accomplish more.
Even in those families where parents are able to take a more hands-on role, mentorships can challenge teens in new ways and give them access to an adult they can confide in who is not a parent.
Teens who have mentors are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, engage in violence and experience depression. Instead, they are more likely to increase their confidence, engage in productive activities and stay motivated to accomplish what they set out to achieve.
"Youth mentoring is a highly effective public health intervention," said Dr. Jay A. Winsten, an associate dean at the Harvard School of Health. "Research has shown that programs that rely on volunteer mentors can play a powerful role in reducing drug abuse and youth violence, while greatly enhancing a young person's prospects for leading a healthy and productive life."
It is partially for these reasons that President Barack Obama declared January National Mentoring Month. Said Obama in a statement about National Mentoring Month:
We know the difference a responsible, caring adult can make in a child's life: buck them up when they're discouraged; provide tough love when they veer off track; being that person in their lives who doesn't want to let them down, and that they don't want to let down; and refusing to give up on them -- even when they want to give up on themselves.
Studies have shown that young people in mentoring phone number data get better grades in school, they're less likely to drink, they're less likely to do drugs. And you ask any successful person how they got to where they are today, chances are they'll tell you about a mentor they had somewhere along the way.
Obama pointed to the influence of mentors in the lives of many well-known and accomplished American figureheads:
The great poet and author Maya Angelou didn't discover poetry until her mentor took her to the tiny library at her school and challenged her to read every book in the room. Co-founder and CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, was an incorrigible troublemaker until his 4th grade teacher took him under her wing and convinced him to focus on math instead of mischief. That turned out pretty well. Ray Charles first discovered his gift for music when, at the age of three, his next-door neighbor taught him how to play the piano. And it was the enthusiasm of her mentor, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, that drew Dr. Carol Greider to the groundbreaking work in genetics that would win both of them the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
These days, many parents are working longer hours to support their families, often leaving little time for them to take an active role in the lives of their children. That can leave children without a positive adult role model to encourage them to work hard and inspire them to accomplish more.
Even in those families where parents are able to take a more hands-on role, mentorships can challenge teens in new ways and give them access to an adult they can confide in who is not a parent.