Sometimes, they don't talk about anything in particular. They just sit and chat. Ross is a sixth-grader at Robinson Middle School. Ripley is his mentor and the assistant vice president and director of corporate communications at Security Benefit Group of Cos. SBG and Robinson have teamed to pair 22 students with mentors who spend time with them for about an hour each Thursday morning.
Students can ask for help on their homework or seek advice about problems.
The program, called Securing Better Youth, began in November to allow students to interact with mentors in a work environment. Ripley said the friendship won't be a short-term one. I hope, wherever our paths take us in life, that we will always make an effort to be friends. Ross is a great kid with a really good head on his shoulders. Sixth-grader Curtis Huggins said the program will improve his grades.