AWN had a vision in 1983 to implement a mentoring program to pair female high school students with a professional in their field of interest. The Rotary Clubs of Amarillo joined us a few years later so young men could participate too. It was deemed a huge success that first year and has continued ever since. For 40 years, the Rotary/AWN Mentor Program has been matching 45-65 students each year. We currently match students from seven schools across three school districts. In addition to matching, we organize group events throughout the year for the students.

The program has been fortunate to have some very dedicated,long-time committee members. A couple of men from the South Rotary have served the program for over 35 years. Our own Marilyn Van Petten served for 31 years. AWN had traditionally been the one to lead this program with 3-4 committee members consistently. Currently, there is only one AWN representative. To work effectively, we need a minimum of seven committee members, one for each school. We currently have only six and one of our long-time committee members, mentioned above, is ready to step down after this year.

I’m looking for at least two AWN members who have a heart for young people and would like to get involved in the Mentor Program, hopefully for more than just one year. Consistently with a school is key in being successful. You get to know the counselor and develop a pool of mentors you can call on. It is a rewarding program and the students are grateful for this opportunity, something many of us never had. AWN started this so it would nice to have more members involved again to keep it going. If you would like to know more about the program and what it takes to be a committee member, please contact Lynn Burns.

Lynn Burns

806-341-1403

lynn.burns@lpt.cpa

Volunteering for Mentorship Committee - Coming Soon!