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Why I Mentor

Oklahomans in every corner of the state are volunteering time each week to make a difference in a child's life. The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has asked some of these mentors to share their experiences.

Victor Flores, corporate director of INTEGRIS Health, has more than 10 years of experience in the arena of healthcare management and has worked for five healthcare organizations throughout Oklahoma. He received his Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma Christian University and his Master of Healthcare Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He serves on the Board of the Central Oklahoma Chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and volunteers for numerous nonprofit organizations.

Why is mentoring important to you?
Mentoring is important to me because it gives me an opportunity to give back to others. Additionally, I feel that mentors, whether personal, scholastic, or professional, are vital to an individual’s growth. I have personally benefited from mentors in all stages of my life, and I attribute a great deal of my success to the exceptional mentors I was fortunate to have. I feel that I have come full circle in that I am now a mentor to others.

How or why did you become involved?
I became involved as a mentor at Western Village through my employer, INTEGRIS Health. Stan F. Hupfeld, the CEO of INTEGRIS, which is a mentor at Western Village, challenged all of leadership to take part of mentoring. His, along with other executive managements', commitment inspired me to become involved in mentoring.

How have you personally benefited from mentoring?
I feel a great satisfaction from the opportunity of encouraging scholastic and personal growth in the lives of young individuals. The experience of mentoring is uplifting, enjoyable and contagious. It never fails; it doesn’t matter how bad of a day I am having, the smiles and eagerness of young minds always brightens up my day. Mentoring is truly a great return on investment.

Give an example of an activity you have shared with your mentee.
In addition to working on academic subjects that the student may need help with, I try to find time for play or talking about a subject that the student is interested in. Even when doing sports activities, whether it be basketball or football, I look for opportunities to build up my mentee’s confidence and courage. Often, too many people quit in life because no one ever told them to “try, try again.” I am confident that all great people, past and present, had a mentor that encouraged them to try again after they have stumbled. I hope to become an encouraging voice for others, much like my previous mentors are to me.