Tonya Hytrek has been honored as the TeamMates mentor of the month for her service as a mentor at West Holt Schools for the last five years. She is beginning her third year as a mentor for Ezra, who is in the 8th grade at West Holt. Tonya meets with Ezra at school once a week during her lunch break from her job at Family Services. She also supports Ezra by attending some of his school activities.
Their time together is spent putting puzzles together, playing games and visiting about his activities. Tonya especially enjoys the time spent sharing about his school achievements. They have also attended group activities sponsored by Holt County TeamMates. These have included bowling parties in Atkinson and a trip to Sioux City to watch a Musketeers hockey game last spring.
Tonya “enjoys the friendship that my mentee and I have built over the years”. It is a privilege “watching him turning into a young man”. She reports that being a mentor “helps build friendship skills” and provides “an overall sense of satisfaction”. Tonya adds that “being a mentor has helped enrich my life on a personal and professional level”. She encourages others to “try it – you will like it”.
