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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.

Chelsea Render, University of Oklahoma Student Association President, has been involved as a Big Sister through Big Brothers and Big Sisters’ “Dream Team” since 2003. She is an alumnus of Youth Leadership Oklahoma, Youth Leadership Tulsa and OU’s President’s Leadership Class, and is involved in many organizations on campus. She will graduate in May with double majors in International Business and Marketing and a minor in Spanish.

Why is mentoring important to you?
Mentoring is one of the first priorities in my life because I think that it is so important to give back to my community. I have been tremendously blessed to have had supportive and caring people there for me through the years, but I know that many kids simply don’t have anyone there to encourage them, to tell them that they are important, and that they can succeed. I am a mentor because there is nothing like the feeling of knowing that you are having an impact in a child’s life.

How or why did you become involved?
I became involved in Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Cleveland County when I heard about the opportunity from a speaker at a President’s Leadership Class when I was a freshman in 2003. I was immediately interested and decided to get involved. Since then, I have spent one hour a week at a school with my Little.

How have you personally benefited from mentoring?
It is common to hear mentors say that they think they benefit perhaps more than their mentee, and it is really true. The more I learn about Evan’s life and the things he has been through, the more I realize that he is a much stronger person than I already, and that I could really learn a lot from him. He has been through a lot, but he always has a smile on his face and a positive attitude. He has taught me so much about strength, kindness, compassion, and friendship, and I am truly blessed to have watched him grow for the past few years.

Give an example of an activity you have shared with your mentee.
Because I participate in the in-school program, Evan and I usually work on homework assignments or projects that his teacher assigns. But sometimes, we’ll have some fun of our own. Evan and I both love to draw, so on some days we’ll check out drawing books from the library and draw together. We also play tag with his classmates on nice days at recess, play computer spelling games together, make up math games, and simply talk about what’s going on in our lives.