We wanted to be able to help freshmen with homework or give them tips on how to study for exams. There are a lot of people here at M.A. to help kids, and we can help freshmen know whom to see for the help they need. In both workshops, the participants also called into question societal stereotypes for boys, and encouraged each other to identify their feelings and consider what kind of person they want to be or become. I'm hoping we will eventually have occasions where boys and girls can meet together and talk openly and honestly to one another. Both genders seek ways to find their identity, quite aside from cultural expectations for their sex.
Social pressures make it difficult for boys and girls to be authentic with one another.
It's important for us to check in with the whole group occasionally, too. Brandon believes that as it grows, the Mentor Group will be able to address a number of different issues important to boys on campus. He speaks of a distinctive meeting in which he himself received support and advice from peer mentors. As African-American students themselves, they understand the uniquely disorienting journey black students make to go to a school like Marin Academy. They empathize with the students' experience as no one else can.