TeamMates Gala match: Tom & Dominic
What does TeamMates mean to you?
“TeamMates means an awful lot to me as it is my way of giving more of myself to a mentee who is in need of someone outside of their family that they can talk to. I give him an option or an outlet for them to share their thoughts or just unload what’s on their mind. It gives me self-worth knowing that I can and am making a difference in their life.” – Tom
“TeamMates means a lot to me. It’s always been a reliable source to get something off my mind, and I knew I always had someone to talk to.” – Dominic
What has been your favorite part about being a TeamMates Mentor?
“I think my favorite part about being a mentor is seeing the growth of the almost 4 years we have been together, how he has changed, and how much he has opened up to me.” – Tom
What has been your favorite part about being a TeamMates Mentee?
“My favorite part about being in TeamMates is having a role model, having someone that’s going to support me through most of my decisions, and having someone to look up to.” – Dominic
What is your favorite memory with your Mentee?
“I have two favorite memories; the first one is funny and the second one is when it actually hit me that I am making a difference. First, it was the day I was introduced to him at Harvey Oaks. ‘Hi Mr. Schenkelberg, my name is Dominic, can I call you Tom cause Schenkelberg is a mouthful!’ Second, was last year at the zoo when we were sitting outside the entrance waiting for the bus, and Dominic said that he was really glad that I was his mentor. I said I was glad to hear that, and he said, ‘I don’t know where I would be right now if you weren’t my mentor.’ I paused for a minute and thanked him for giving me the opportunity to be his mentor, then the bus came, and everyone loaded up. I walked to my truck and sobbed once I got inside because I realized that I was making a difference, and it felt really good to know our relationship was getting stronger.” – Tom
What is your favorite memory with your Mentor?
“My favorite memory with my mentor was when I very first started, and we would play board games (and he’d beat me at them).” – Dominic
What is one wish or hope you have for your Mentee?
“My hope for my mentee, Dominic, is that he continues to grow and understand that he is important to a lot of people, and he can succeed at whatever he decides to do in life. He is a great kid and very well liked by many, and I hope he carries on through his life being a kind, understanding person who can do anything when he applies himself. I also think, down the road, Dominic would be a great mentor to others as well.” – Tom
What is one wish or hope you have for your future?
“One hope I have for the future is to continue to be apart of TeamMates, and succeed in life.” – Dominic