Spring Branch ISD Featured News

January is National Mentoring Month when we take time to appreciate and thank our mentors.

Here is a video from Superintendent Jennifer Blaine reflecting on the importance mentoring has made in her life.

---

Another person who was influenced by a mentor in Spring Branch ISD is featured here:

Twenty years ago, at Spring Woods Middle School, a young woman was matched with a mentor who has remained a part of her life to this day.

“This opened up a whole new world to me,” said Jovana Campos, now a paralegal with Archrock, a natural gas compression services company. It is likely not a coincidence that her mentor was an attorney at Vincent & Elkins!

When Archrock opened an office in the Spring Branch area, Campos wanted to give back by becoming a mentor in her “home” school district.

“I knew I had benefitted from having a mentor,” said Campos. She brought the idea to get colleagues involved with mentoring to the Archrock Cares volunteer committee a few years ago. She then reached out to the SpringBoard Mentor Program coordinator, who turned out to be a familiar name and face – her former counselor at Northbrook High School, Pat Waldrop!

“It is a small world,” said Campos. “I felt like I was back with my ‘family.’”

Campos was matched to mentor a third grade student at Woodview Elementary. Prior to last spring, they would meet each week during lunch at the school. Ms. Campos also attended her mentee’s talent shows and other school related activities. This connection led to an invitation for the school choir to visit the Archrock office to sing holiday songs to the employees (before COVID-19).

“We have a lot of things in common,” said Campos about her mentee. “She was very quiet and shy at first, but has opened up over time.”

This year, the mentee attends KIPP Courage at Landrum Middle School in SBISD. 

“She reached out to me and still wants me to be her mentor,” said Campos, happily. They were able to connect a few times during the first semester (as is allowed at the secondary level with parent permission).

“As long as I am here, I want to continue to be her mentor,” said Campos.

Thank you, Jovana Campos, for seeing the value of mentoring and bringing the benefits full circle to another young lady. We hope in 2040, your mentee also becomes a mentor!

If you or your organization would like to explore the idea of providing mentors to students in Spring Branch ISD once we can safely resume on-campus mentoring visits, please contact the SpringBoard Mentoring Program Team at mentor@springbranchisd.com.

Submitted by Becky Wuerth, SBISD Communications

becky.wuerth@springbranchisd.com