Nativity Jesuit Academy Alumni Mentor

About Nativity Jesuit Academy:

Nativity Jesuit Academy is a K4-8 coed Catholic, Jesuit, urban school serving young men and women in Milwaukee, WI. We prepare our students, in partnership with their families, for Christian leadership and service in high school, college and life.

Through a holistic education program, Nativity Jesuit strives to form leaders who are religious, loving, seeking intellectual excellence, committed to justice and open to growth. Like Christ, who came “not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45), Nativity Jesuit transforms students to become men and women for and with others.

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• Build relationships with 1 NJA graduate, formally beginning with their freshman year in high school. Mentors commit to active participation and communication with their mentee throughout high school.
• Approach the relationship with a strengths-based and student-centered mindset, focusing on learning the students’ interests and long term goals, and supporting them as they strive to reach those goals.
• Communicate via phone, text, or email at least once every two weeks with your mentee until consistent communication is established.
• Participate in monthly face-to-face meetings (either virtually via Zoom or in-person at monthly meetings at Nativity) surrounding themes that your student will come across throughout various stages of his/her high school experience.
• Individually read and find a time to discuss the content of any monthly meetings that you are unable to attend with your mentee.
• Partner with your mentee’s family, working together to support your mentee in ways that align with the family’s hopes and goals.
• Communicate with Graduate Support (Alexis Sánchez and Hannah Sternig) with any challenges you face during your time serving as a mentor.
• Encourage your mentee to push himself/herself outside of his/her comfort zone in order to grow academically and personally.
• Connect your mentee to opportunities that promote growth and success as a student and as a person when possible.

Mentor Characteristics

• Inquisitive- mentors should be able to ask good questions to get to know the interests, strengths, and goals of the mentee.
• Positive- mentors should serve as a source of encouragement, pointing towards the mentee’s strengths and encouraging him/her to use those strengths to overcome any challenges he/she may face.
• Patient- mentors may face challenges around communication with their mentees, especially early in the relationship. Mentors should maintain persistent, regular communication and share any concerns with either Alexis Sánchez or Hannah Sternig.
• Reliable- mentors must serve as a model of reliability for the mentee, helping the mentee understand the importance of following through on their commitments through their actions.
• Supportive- mentors should demonstrate a true interest in supporting our students as they grow and progress through their high school years.
• Open- mentors should be open to learning from their mentees throughout the process of mentoring, to sharing their personal experiences with their mentee, and to guiding the mentee towards pursuing his positive interests and goals.

Mentor Requirements

All mentors must have completed a live training with the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, submit to a background check, and sign a code of ethics before they begin mentoring. Additional information on this will be provided once you have met with GSP Staff.