Mentorship Program
The YES Mentorship Program exists to strengthen our YES community and to provide support, guidance, and friendship to YES participants and leaders.
Students can request a mentor for:
- Professional or personal development
- Helping them grow in their faith
- Exploring being a Christian in the world
- Discovering purpose and passion
- Applying their YES experience to their surroundings
- Any concern or problem the mentee expresses.
Our Mentors hope to support our participants and leaders as they navigate their current joys and struggles in their lives.
Why Mentorship?
Our Mentors
Michelle
Michelle, from Boston, Massachusetts, currently works as the YES trip Planning Manager and has been involved with YES since May of 2010! YES has shaped the way Michelle looks at the world and has instilled in her to meet Jesus Christ in every person she encounters. Michelle graduated with a BA in Fine Arts with concentrations in Painting and Graphic Design. Michelle also works with an Iconographer and does freelance Graphic Design! As a mentor, Michelle looks forward to connecting with mentees about personal struggles and embracing adulthood.
Laila
Laila is a Physical Therapist in Worcester, Massachusetts! She has been involved with YES since 2011 and has attended countless trips across the country both as a participant and a leader. She also is currently the Chair of the YES ministry team! YES has become a huge part of her life and has ultimately helped her find her passion, which is serving and loving every person she encounters. She is extremely blessed and humbled to be able to be a part of YES and cannot wait to continually meet new people and hear their stories. As a mentor, Lailia looks forward to talking through personal struggles, navigating the world as a Christian, and spiritual guidance and support with her mentees.
Virginia
Originally from Colorado, Virginia is currently based in Guatemala and works as an online writing tutor! She has been involved with YES since she was 13. As a teenager, YES provided an incredible experience that allowed her faith to grow and showed her how to have a servant’s heart. Since then, she has been trained to lead trips, worked as a part time YES trip planner and is a member of the YES ministry team. She graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology as she loves to get to know and truly understand people. As a mentor, Virginia looks forward to talking through personal struggles, leadership development, and embracing adulthood with her mentees.
Pano
Originally from Ohio, Pano currently works as a Health and Benefits consultant in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania! He has been a YES participant since 2011 attending trips in 9 different cities. Being actively a part of the YES program since the age of 16 helped shape the lens through which he perceives the world. He is an active trip leader and member of the YES Ministry team. He graduated in 2016 with a degree in Sociology and a lifelong passion for income inequality and social injustice. As a mentor, Pano is ready to talk about professional development, leadership development, and embracing adulthood.
Elissa
From Austin, Texas, Elissa is a published author and mother of five! She continues writing, making podcasts, and working professionally in customer service. She heard about YES in an interview with Katrina Bitar, and immediately loved the philosophy. She has been helping to lead YES trips in her parish, with her local OCF, and is a member of the YES Advisory Board. She finds that YES is really the best way we have to invite people into experiencing the Kingdom through loving service to others. Elissa looks forward to talking about personal struggles, leadership development, embracing adulthood and navigating the world as a Christian.
Larissa
Originally from the rural Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, Larissa now resides in Washington, D.C. where she works in Nonprofit Administration for the American Red Cross! Larissa has been heavily involved with YES in a myriad of ways; from working for FOCUS and leading trips, to being a member of the YES Advisory Board. YES has become an integral part of Larissa’s daily life and vocation, teaching her to always meet every person with kindness, compassion and understanding. Larissa also graduated with a BA in Nonprofit Management and Peace & Conflict Studies in 2011 and has recently earned her MPA with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Organizational Leadership. As a mentor, Larissa is excited to connect with you and talk about personal struggles, professional development, leadership development, embracing adulthood and navigating the world as a Christian.
Christina
Christina currently works as a Homeless Outreach Worker in Santa Cruz, California! She has been growing alongside YES since 2005 as a participant and a leader. The YES program helped her discover a desire to embrace the challenges and suffering of our world with a smile and sense of community. She brings YES’ ideals of compassionate service and a Christ centered approach with her as she advocates for human rights, public health issues, and international women’s rights. She has a degree in Public Health from Cal. State Monterey Bay and is working on her Masters in International Policy and Development at Middlebury Institute of International Studies. As a mentor, Christina looks forward to talking through professional development, leadership development, and navigating the world as a Christian.
