At Project Leadership, we enjoy walking side-by-side with high school students as they form and pursue their post-secondary dreams. For Marion native, Randy Sheron, that meant pursuing a Social Work degree at Ball State University after high school.
As a freshman 21st Century Scholar at Marion High School, Randy already knew that she wanted to go to college, but she also realized that it was going to take a lot of work. During her freshman year, her mom informed her about Project Leadership’s mentoring program, and asked her if it was something she would be interested in.
“After she explained to me that a mentor would be there to meet with me and help me out with school, I decided that I wanted to enter the program,” said Randy.
Randy was paired her freshman year with a mentor named Mishelle Wright. They were matched for all four years of high school, and developed a strong, trust-based relationship.
“Mishelle and I had a connection from the beginning. I was quiet and shy, and I felt like Mishelle understood because she was the same way. She made me feel comfortable. We would do a lot of different, fun things, like meet at Starbucks.”
Mishelle helped Randy keep her focus on future goals, and also helped her overcome obstacles along the way.
“Mishelle was what I would consider to be a perfect mentor. If she didn’t know the answer, she would always point me in the right direction. She was always there to encourage me, even during the hard times.”
Randy went on to graduate from Marion high school in 2012, and is now a student at Ball State University. To this day, she stays in contact with Mishelle. She is finishing up her senior year as a social work major, and decided to volunteer at Project Leadership to fulfill an academic requirement.
“Being in Project Leadership’s mentoring program was a very positive experience for me. I wanted more hands-on experience, and I felt like Project Leadership’s values aligned well with social work. It just made sense to volunteer here.”
We are happy to have you, Randy! Thank you for sharing your story with us!
If you would like to learn more about our mentoring program, click here.