“The time I spend every Tuesday with the Grizzlies TEAM Mentor group (3 adults and 9 students together) is the best part of my week. We do a few extra events, like a basketball game together or a food drive project, but it’s mostly just spending a couple of hours a week with these guys. It changes your outlook. Literally, as soon as these kids walk through that door in the afternoon, they’re like, ‘I have to tell you this!’ They always make me laugh. We talk about everything, from who they are and how they see the world, to their schoolwork and how to navigate tough conversations with their teachers. Being with them makes me want to fight harder to see that they get the great education they deserve. They’re involved in so many extra-curricular activities that they’re really excited about too. They’re excited about books they’re read, poems they’ve written, things they’re doing. I can’t wait to see what these kids are going to accomplish in their lives. Now is the time to instill great things in them so that they’ll stay on the right path as they go on through school. They have so much potential and power. As long as they can tap into that and stay focused, they’re going to succeed. They have amazing dreams, and I think they’ll make those dreams happen.”
Find out more about becoming a Grizzlies TEAM Mentor HERE.
From the Memphis Grizzlies Foundation web page:
Mendell Grinter is a mentor with the Grizzlies TEAM Mentor Program at Grizzlies Prep. He is also the Tennessee Black Alliance for Education Options (BAEO) TN State Director.
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