In an Ideal World – A Mentoring Month Moment

I know this 12-year-old  boy who comes to the Computer Clubhouse.  He is amazing!  What he can do with LEGOs blows the mind.  His understanding of engineering far exceeds my own and the best I have been able to do for him has been to  teach him some programming languages – which of course he now excels in also.

In an ideal world this kid would be bound for greatness.

The youth I am referring to  however, is faced with a less-than-ideal world.  He comes from a struggling family that lives over the bridge, and a good ways beyond, where land is less expensive.  Their treks into Lakewood – to the Clubhouse – or anywhere for that matter –   are an economic hardship and limited to every-other-week.  This kid has wonderful skills, as I mentioned, yet working as part of a group is not one of them – he lacks that discipline – so he works alone in a time where group achievement is commonplace at traditional schools.

In an ideal world these things would not matter at all.

A month or so ago, on a Friday evening, after hanging out at the Clubhouse building robots, this boy and his family went to the Pierce College Science Dome for a special event.  When I saw him next,  he was all excited – he had just joined an astronomy club.  Going through my somewhat simple mind was the fact that I now know an engineering prodigy who now is focusing on astronomy – I was in the presence of the proverbial rocket scientist!

I truly hope that an ideal world will smile down, in future years  upon this young person…  for….

• In an ideal world, he will meet adults and college students at Pierce College who will see his amazing potential,
• In an ideal word, one or two of these adults will take him under their wings for the next six or so years and pass on more knowledge for him to feast upon,
• In an ideal world, resources and transportation will be available for him to attend more special events that spark his interest,
• In an ideal world he will find a way to go to college when he is ready,
• and in an ideal world, he will become a mentor to the next rising star.

Our world is not perfect. It is far from ideal.  It is a big blue ball spinning in a orderly fashion in space yet inhabited pretty much by disorder and chance. The human child would easily succumb to the laws of entropy, falling irretrievably into disorder,   were it not for adult intervention.  Any chance of anything close to an ideal world depends upon these caring adults doing their part.

Help create a more ideal world.  BE A MENTOR!