Mentor Spotlight 

The Brave House is working with dozens of amazing mentors, check back for more as we continue to feature their amazing work. 

November Spotlight

Helen Flores

How long have you been a mentor for? 
I have been a mentor for about two months.

What kinds of activities do you and your mentee do together? 
We talk about self-care so much and how to support mental health while being an undergraduate student. We talk about breaking stigmas and unpacking expectations that society has on young folks. We have talked about culture and its role on identity as well. 

Why did you decide to become a mentor?
I had a mentor named Jim when I was in undergraduate school. He was the only person who believed in me and challenged me. He taught me to be fearless. I want to share what I learned with my mentee so she too can be empowered by her strength in times of doubt.

What is the most rewarding part of being a mentor?
Understanding my mentee and putting myself in her shoes, helps me challenge myself and look at her goals and fears through a new lens. It's rewarding to just learn from our youth and to normalize fears without judging them.
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What advice do you have for other mentors?
Listen to your mentees and validate them. They are at the stages of navigating the adult world which is scary. Validate them and support their decisions.

October Spotlight

​Danney Salvatierra

How long have you been a mentor for? 
​I have been a mentor for around 6 months. 

What kinds of activities do you and your mentee do together? 
Zoom calls where we chat about her goals and what to do to achieve them. Unfortunately due to Covid19, we cannot do many outside activities.

Why did you decide to become a mentor?
I arrived to this country when I was 13 from Peru. I didn't know how the system worked nor did my family. We didn't know English either so we had to figure things out on our own or with the help of a lot of different people. A lot of these people became not only my mentors but my parent's mentors. During college, I was fortunate to have had the most incredible mentors to guide me and help me achieve my goals. Helping others is one of the purest forms of love. Mentoring students is a passion of mine because of how much my mentors did for me. I know the importance of mentorship to build confidence, grow as a person and human being. I love the experience.

What is the most rewarding part of being a mentor?
Being able to see the growth. When you first speak to a mentee, they are afraid to open up because they have a lot of insecurities due to their backgrounds and experiences. Once they open up, and you see them blossom before your eyes, it's truly a beautiful thing.

What advice do you have for other mentors?
To be patient. Being a mentor is being able to adapt to your mentee, not the other way around. You're there to help them with whatever they need help with - whether it is to build confidence, or achieve a personal/professional goal. Therefore, it is important that you walk at their pace, not the other way around.

How do you live the Brave House values as a mentor?I live the Brave House values of safety, empowerment, wellness, dignity, and sisterhood by encouraging my mentee to be the best version of herself, and reminding her that her past does not define her future. We got this!

September Spotlight

Kevin Hylant

How long have you been a mentor for?
I have been a mentor for 4-5 months.

What kinds of activities do you and your mentee do together? 
We normally spend the first 15 or so minutes just chatting about things going on in each of our lives, recently in Spanish. Then we switch to English for a 1-1.5 hours coding class. Between each meeting she generally works through some assignments that we'll review together at our next meeting. She generally gets tripped up on a couple of tasks of the assignment so I devise some examples and lessons to walk her through it, trying to incorporate fun examples. As part of this we often take turns coding, share our screens so each of us can follow the other. If time permits, we will dive into the next lesson in the course material we are following: The Flatiron School's online web curriculum that I have access to as an alumni.

Why did you decide to become a mentor?
My current life motto is "Live Generously". Throughout my life I've been blessed with great teachers, mentors, managers, and parents. The role they've played to advocate for and empower my own growth and development has been priceless. Furthermore, I've developed a variety of teachable hard and soft skills, a strong social network, and an enthusiasm for life that I've been told is inspiring. I hope to be a source of positivity and light in their lives, and above all, a tailwind that - I'd like to help create a tailwind for some of the girls however I can. Lastly, my involvement with the Brave House beyond mentoring is largely behind the scenes (fundraising and technical), I wanted a more tangible and human connection with the Brave House.

What is the most rewarding part of being a mentor?
The random thoughtful texts I receive. Otherwise the genuine gratitude, and seeing/hearing when teachings just "click".

What advice do you have for other mentors?
Be vulnerable about yourself and your story and try to get to know them as a person. Small texts with something that perhaps reminded you of them or a conversation you had go a long way. Be consistent & persistent. Don't be afraid to send multiple friendly check-ins to confirm or schedule your next meeting. They're kids who oftentimes just miss a message or forget to respond. Assume they want to meet up with you and are just busy! Voice messages are great!

​How do you live the Brave House values as a mentor?
By helping teach her how to code, I hope to empower her to find a job that is challenging, fulfilling, and that pays well. Beyond that, I hope it will make her feel more valuable and powerful.