NATIONAL MENTOR MONTH: Mentor loves hanging out with mentee

Note: The Nevada Appeal, with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada Mentor Center, are honoring local mentors in January, National Mentor Month.

Mandy Carvin, 24, has been mentoring with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada Mentor Center since she was 19. Britt, her mentee, has been with her for four years, and she worked with another mentee before that. Mandy is one of those people with an infectious smile who is always working to help those around her have fun and enjoy life. Mentoring has been a natural avenue to spread this gift even further.

The pair likes to hang out, go to the movies or the mall, and in the summer spend time at Lake Tahoe.

"My favorite thing about Britt is the fact that she is such a good person. For being so young, she knows right and wrong, and she always does the right thing," Mandy said. "She's very smart. I also admire how much she loves her family."

Britt's sister Allie also has a mentor through the Mentor Center, and their little brother Ethan is currently on the waiting list for one. They're being raised by grandparents who work hard to make sure that they will have every opportunity they need for success - mentoring is just one way.

Mandy and Britt are always some of the first to sign up for the Mentor Center's many group activities. Their favorite was a group trip to a Reno Aces baseball game this summer. They've also participated in packing boxes for the troops overseas, Cops and Kids, and the annual Christmas party hosted by Wells Fargo, to name a few.

Mandy works for the state Department of Transporta-tion as an administrative assistant.

When asked why people should mentor, Mandy says, "I think if you want to do something to better your life and someone else's you should become a mentor. It's such a small thing you can do but it makes such a big difference to your and a child's life. Just knowing that you can change their life for the better should make you feel like a million bucks.

"All these kids are such awesome people, too - you might actually learn a thing or two from them. I learned who Justin Beiber is!"

• Bridget Gordon is the outreach specialist for the Boys & Girls Clubs Mentor Center.