Updated 9/29/24
RTE recently welcomed Lisa Daly to our small but mighty mentorship team! Lisa, a parent to a Paly grad who is now a sophomore in college, has been a therapist for about 25 years, and brings with her a wealth of experience working with kids and teens including in high schools, and through social services. She is mentoring seven students from Paly's Class of 2024 as they experience college life. If you are interested in mentoring and/or volunteering for RTE, please contact us at [email protected].
What do you think might be both rewarding and challenging about mentoring?
Lisa: I think it will be rewarding to be helping young adults transition from high school in the environment that we live in here in this community, which feels more contained, into the greater world which is full of possibility and opportunity for them. That's super exciting! There may be bumps along the road and maybe some emotional or academic challenges, but I am excited to help our scholars through these. I also think I can help them figure out how to navigate some of the administrative hoops that come with college.
Do you think being a parent yourself will help you be a better mentor?
Lisa: Yes, for sure. I think having gone through this whole process with my daughter is very valuable. I now know personally what this process is like, and just knowing what challenges have come up for her, will help me in guiding scholars going into freshman year and beyond. I feel like I'll be a little bit ahead of the curve in the kinds of issues that come up.
Do you have any strategies that you plan to employ to get to know your mentees?
Lisa: For me, being a therapist, I sort of naturally lean into asking questions in a way that I'm warm, not judgmental, and focus on just getting to know people, so I feel like that's helpful for me to be able to bring people out. I try to connect with them on more of an emotional level, wherever they're at. I will ask about what they're looking forward to and maybe what their fears are, as well as ways that they think I can best help them.
Of the many worthy organizations that you could have given your time and energy to, what drew you to RTE?
Lisa: It is my passion to help others achieve their potential and I was looking for a way that I could help this population that involved some form of guidance. I worked with elementary school students in the Ravenswood district for four years, and that recently ended. So I was looking for a new opportunity and because I enjoy working with young people of all ages, I thought that this would be an opportunity to use my experience and create a connection with these scholars.
Thank you, Lisa and all our mentors!
RTE recently welcomed Lisa Daly to our small but mighty mentorship team! Lisa, a parent to a Paly grad who is now a sophomore in college, has been a therapist for about 25 years, and brings with her a wealth of experience working with kids and teens including in high schools, and through social services. She is mentoring seven students from Paly's Class of 2024 as they experience college life. If you are interested in mentoring and/or volunteering for RTE, please contact us at [email protected].
What do you think might be both rewarding and challenging about mentoring?
Lisa: I think it will be rewarding to be helping young adults transition from high school in the environment that we live in here in this community, which feels more contained, into the greater world which is full of possibility and opportunity for them. That's super exciting! There may be bumps along the road and maybe some emotional or academic challenges, but I am excited to help our scholars through these. I also think I can help them figure out how to navigate some of the administrative hoops that come with college.
Do you think being a parent yourself will help you be a better mentor?
Lisa: Yes, for sure. I think having gone through this whole process with my daughter is very valuable. I now know personally what this process is like, and just knowing what challenges have come up for her, will help me in guiding scholars going into freshman year and beyond. I feel like I'll be a little bit ahead of the curve in the kinds of issues that come up.
Do you have any strategies that you plan to employ to get to know your mentees?
Lisa: For me, being a therapist, I sort of naturally lean into asking questions in a way that I'm warm, not judgmental, and focus on just getting to know people, so I feel like that's helpful for me to be able to bring people out. I try to connect with them on more of an emotional level, wherever they're at. I will ask about what they're looking forward to and maybe what their fears are, as well as ways that they think I can best help them.
Of the many worthy organizations that you could have given your time and energy to, what drew you to RTE?
Lisa: It is my passion to help others achieve their potential and I was looking for a way that I could help this population that involved some form of guidance. I worked with elementary school students in the Ravenswood district for four years, and that recently ended. So I was looking for a new opportunity and because I enjoy working with young people of all ages, I thought that this would be an opportunity to use my experience and create a connection with these scholars.
Thank you, Lisa and all our mentors!