Sharing Testimonies
Mentoring program fosters relationship-building among Christians

“Those who walk with the wise, grow wise.” Proverbs 13:20a

Mentoring at Calvin College has been going on since the college began. Faculty and staff members have long served as menters to students who sought out their help.

A formal mentoring program, though, was established in 1994 by Chaplain Dale Cooper and Ralph Honderd, physical education professor emeritus.

“The reason we’re doing it is to put individuals together who can help each other,” said Cooper, in an interview at the time. “Who knows the impact of one person touching another person’s life?”

Over 100 Calvin students meet with faculty, staff and alumni in a mentoring relationship.

Since that time, the mentoring program has quietly grown to include 100 different students and mentors who meet regularly to “offset the relational vacuum that exists within our society,” reads the mentoring brochure.

“It has been really interesting to see how God works through these pairs of people,” said Lisa Jousma, the newly hired mentoring program coordinator. “He has really blessed both the students and the mentors.”

Such was the case for one mentee who wrote, “My mentoring relationship this year has been the biggest blessing I could have ever imagined. She has helped me grow in so many ways.”

This response is common among mentees, said Jousma. “Students are struggling with academics, with life-changing decisions, with relationships,” she said. “It is so nice for them to be able to share their feelings with someone outside their circle of family and friends and to gain the perspective that comes with that experience.”

The benefits also extend to the mentors, who can be Calvin faculty and staff members, alumni or friends of the college.

“Mentors can gain as much as mentees,” said one mentor. “Having a mentee keeps me young and connected with students.”

The program is always looking for more mentors.

“It is a great way for people to invest in a student’s life and really make a difference,” said Jousma. “Everyone has a story and a testimony. It just takes a willingness to share stories about how God has worked in your life. There are no other qualifications than that.”

To find out more about the mentoring program, see www.calvin.edu/go/mentoring. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, contact the mentoring office at mentoring@calvin.edu or (616) 526-7274.