Mentor Profile
John Mozena’s Notes for Mentor Speech, Founders’ dinner 2009
Janet asked me at the last minute to fill in for the mentor of the year who was supposed to speak. I decided the only way I can do this is to make it personal, but with full understanding that every mentor brings a different approach and perspective to being a mentor. But this is mine.
I have two philosophical bases for my being a mentor.
1. I believe that because I have been so blessed in my life it is my obligation and duty to be a
blessing to others. I have been given every advantage one could have:
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a. Good health
b. Loving parents
c. Good education
d. Exceptional Wife
e. Great kids and healthy grandchild
f. Always been employed
g. I grew up in a free society
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Know what? The dirty little secret is that life is often still hard and I can only imagine how hard life is for others less fortunate than I.
On a practical level I believe that inner-city and especially African American youth is the most endangered segment of our society.
70% drop out at DPS, high incarceration rates, over 70% illegitimacy rates, The beat goes on. My wife Susan is in the process of becoming a Presbyterian Minister, and as part of her training she has to do chaplaincy training. Her training has been at Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit.
At Sinai Grace in one 8 hour period last week she had to deal with 4 gunshot wounds, and 1 fatal stabbing, not totally typical but not uncommon.
Susan shared this with that all mothers over the last 5 months who have stood over their dead children without exception have said at least one of the following laments:
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“I told him not to hang out with ____________”
“I told him not go to the corner”
“I told him not to be at that house”
“I told him to stay away from drugs…….”
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And one of the saddest stories I have ever heard is the mother of the stabbing victim on this past Monday night, as she stood next to her dead son, hugging the father and crying, raised her head up and said about her dead child, “at least now we don’t have to worry about him any more.”
So this is the segment of our society that I think needs the most attention and that’s where I want to try to make a difference.
Let’s be realistic. I don’t have the ability to make a large impact on society. I don’t have the
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Power
Influence
Position
Connections
Money
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But I do believe in little victories. If enough people come together and create little victories differences can be made, things become cumulative and lives can be changed.
My two mentees are here tonight. First is Marcel McTier who graduated from Loyola HS 3 years ago and is now a student at Henry Ford community College. Second my current mentee Brian Browder who is a senior at Loyola HS and will graduate in June and will be attending Saginaw Valley State University in the Fall.
So what do I provide these two young men? I believe my main job is to be a sounding board. I have told both of them that I will answer any question they have to the best of my ability and that it will be a straight answer.
Now I want to be very clear about something. I am not here to be their parent or to interfere with that parent’s upbringing of their child. Both Marcel and Brian have been blessed with mothers who have taught them life lesson of character, integrity, decency, thoughtfulness and manners. My job is to reinforce these traits and frankly not to screw things up.
Let me give one concrete example of interaction with my mentees. I am sure Marcel and Brian will say that I have harped on and harassed them about the issue of consistency. When you get a homework assignment it is not an option whether to do it or not and whether to hand it in on time and it is not an option to do anything other than your best. If they are consistent in these efforts with will have academic success.
Now I read somewhere that there are three things you can do if you don’t want to be poor. These three things cut across racial and gender lines.
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1. Get an education – over a lifetime the earning differential between a person who gets a college
education and one who doesn’t is $1million.
2. Get a job
3. Get married and stay married.
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My job is to reinforce behaviors that lead to success in these 3 areas.
Now let me take some time and talk about SMP. Janet, Janelle and Lela are professionals. Their heads and hearts are absolutely in the right place. In my six years with SMP I haven’t seen one penny spent out of place or inappropriately, no scandal, no funny business. Their focus is always on the success and welfare of their students.
SMP helps the mentors with activities in four areas: 1. Culture – trips to the DIA, DSO, Fisher Theater, Detroit Opera House, 2. Volunteer/community service – Focus Hope, Gleaners, St Vincent De Paul’s and recently we cleaned up Cass Park for Earth Day, 3. Educational: Helping the students with ACT prep and college prep, and 4. Fun activities: Tigers, Pistons, The circus, the Casinos.
Just joking about the Casinos. Just seeing if anyone was still paying attention.
When all is said and done, the statistic I am most proud of is that 95% of SMP’s graduates go on to college.
I consider my relationship with Marcel and Brian to be more than 3 years of high school and out and done. I have told both of them that I would be proud to take them anywhere and I wouldn’t have a single concern about their behavior land that as long as I am still breathing, I will consider them to be a part of my family land will stay in contact with them.
Finally my second philosophical base for being a mentor is that I believe that God wants every person on this earth to have as full and rich and complete a life as possible and my task is to assist in whatever way I can Marcel and Brian to reach this goal.
Past Mentor Honorees
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