Kendall McHenry , 6th grade
# PearlandISDCares
Holiday Gift Giving
Nearly 600 Pearland ISD students and their families were able to smile a little brighter this past Christmas , thanks to the generosity of our community .
The district ’ s fifth annual gift giving project matched over 70 sponsors with children to “ adopt ” for the holidays by buying toys and clothes specifically for each child .
Thank you to these top sponsors :
City of Pearland Crossroads Community Church Farmers Insurance – Sally Mercer Agency First United Methodist Church HOPE Church Pearland MFR Fluid & Air Inc . Pearland Health Care / Dr . Sheila Schmidt Pearland Lions Club PJH West National Junior Honor Society Rotary Club of 288 Corridor Shadycrest Baptist Church Tia Artisst & Family Texas First Bank
SPOTLIGHT ON :
RISE Mentor Match
Kendall McHenry , 6th grade
What do you appreciate about your mentor ?
I appreciate that he is a kind mentor . He tells me that I can do anything I try to do . He always tells me to keep trying and never give up and he always has a smile on his face .
How does having a RISE mentor help you ?
Having a RISE mentor helps me because he brought back memories of what my dad and I did before he passed away two years ago .
What are your favorite things to do with your mentor ?
My favorite things to do are playing football , basketball , chess , checkers , and talking about other things like taxes , vacations , and how our days are going .
If you could tell your mentor one thing what would you want to say to him ?
One thing that I would say is thank you for taking time off of work to come and hangout with me at school .
Michael Pascarella , Kendall ’ s Mentor
How has being a RISE mentor enhanced your life ?
This program has been a surprise for me . I went into this not really knowing what to do or how I was going to help . Now , I get to play hooky from work to hang out with this great young man . Working with him has taught me that helping many people is nice , but impacting one person deeply is so much more powerful .
What made you say “ yes ” to the opportunity to become a RISE mentor ?
A friend sent me a link to a young person ’ s story . As I read it I felt compelled to ask more questions . His story spoke to me . Fortunately , we were able to be matched together .
What have you learned from your mentee ?
Working with him has helped me reinforce the value of promises . If I make a promise to him , it is a promise and cannot be broken under any circumstances . He knows that if I say it is a promise that it will happen . If I do not , he also does not expect it . That way if I am able to make it happen , it is a bigger surprise .
What would you say to other people that are considering becoming a RISE mentor ?
Ask lots of questions . Do not worry about the time commitment . You would be amazed how much you can do in 30 minutes each week .
14 | PROGRESS