Meet Cindy, a Mentor with T.R.A.C.life
Meet Cindy, T.R.A.C.life mentor from Santa Rosa, California. She joined T.R.A.C. when the program started three years ago in Sonoma County.
In her second year with T.R.A.C.life, Cindy and her mentee enjoy a lot of meals together. The two of them share a stomach and love the same kinds of food like ramen and Hawaiian food. When they first started dining out together, the young teenager struggled with ordering her own food, but that was part of the deal. She had to order by herself. Now Cindy’s mentee orders and talks to the server! While that may seem minor, this shows big progress for the camper who admitted lacking confidence.
Grooming Cindy’s horse at a commercial horse ranch has added to this confidence. At the ranch, with her caretakers’ permission, the young teenager has also been practicing driving skills using the ranch utility vehicle. Other fun things the two have done together include going to a pumpkin patch, making chocolate dipped strawberries and pretzels, decorating cookies and gingerbread houses, window shopping, getting a manicure and going to a pirate-themed escape room with the other mentors and mentees.
Cindy met her mentee, now 14, through Royal Family KIDS’ Camp when the girl was 9. Seeing her grow over the years has been a blessing to Cindy who enjoys being someone who listens. Saying goodbye to campers is hard, so T.R.A.C.life is a game changer. Connecting two times a month gives Cindy so much joy and peace, especially since mentoring extends past T.R.A.C. when campers age out.
At the final goodbye ceremony at Royal Family KIDS’ Camp, her mentee would not go forward to get her medal of completion. The young girl told Cindy she was unlovable. Despite knowing the volunteers, she was scared to go to T.R.A.C. and struggled to be physically close to others on the challenge course. Now more confident, Cindy’s mentee was able to complete all the challenge course activities this year for the first time. She knows she has a support group of people who love and value her.
Cindy, now semi-retired, used to be an executive in technology sales. She loves to ride horses and compete in a variety of AKC events with her dog, including bird hunting. Cindy is also a skunk whisperer who can easily remove a skunk from a chicken coop or under a home! Though Cindy is married to a wonderful man and has two grandsons, she never had kids of her own, so working with the amazing youth at T.R.A.C. and T.R.A.C.life brings fulfillment.
To someone considering T.R.A.C.life, Cindy admits that making a true connection takes time. Committing to be an accountable and consistent mentor is not to be taken lightly. Her heart is full of little victories, but patience is important. As Cindy says, “You know you are making a difference when your youth asks to stay out longer to talk and hang out with you. I feel blessed to be part of my mentee’s support system. I get as much, if not more, from the experience.”
Thank you, Cindy. Mentoring impacts a life!