Lyle Wilson has been a BEST Kids mentor for almost four years and he’s been a supporter for even longer than that.  Over this time, Lyle has mentored two different youth and become a regular fixture at our monthly peer group meetings.  Lyle brings a remarkable life experience and insight to his mentoring.  “There is nothing theoretical about what I’m saying, because I’ve been there and I’ve seen it,” he says.

Having attended more than 20 different schools before completing his high school diploma, and growing up in circumstances similar to those of BEST Kids youth, Lyle can truly say that he understands and empathizes with some of the needs of his mentee. success story given similar circumstances provides a helpful reminder to our mentees.  As a mentor, Lyle believes his role is to provide the stability that his mentee’s life would otherwise lack.  Even in his toughest times, Lyle’s mentee, Peter*, can rely on him to be supportive and empathetic.

Unfortunately, several crises have challenged the life path Peter is attempting to follow in order to reach his goal of becoming a lawyer.  Throughout this, Lyle has supported Peter by keeping in frequent contact and taking him out as often as possible, thereby allowing Peter to experience new things and decompress from his challenging home life.

Despite the obstacles, Lyle and Peter’s relationship has become quite strong.  One particularly touching moment occurred when they were making plans to go out to dinner and study.  After some back-and-forth about meeting location and directions, Lyle realized that Peter was looking out for Lyle’s safety while in Peter’s neighborhood.  Peter’s thoughtfulness made Lyle and the BEST Kids staff smile a great deal.

BEST Kids understands that most mentors will enter the program with much less experience than Lyle; however we continue to feel fortunate for his commitment to his mentee, the program and the community of fellow mentors.

*Names of youth are changed to protect their identities.