Since 2016, Buckle and our teammates have been helping the TeamMates Mentoring organization fulfill their mission of providing youth with the support and encouragement they need to reach their full potential.
At Buckle, the value we place on developing our teammates, and helping them reach their full potential, spills over into our support for the TeamMates Mentoring organization.
Recently, four of our store managers volunteered at a TeamMates event that celebrated high school seniors graduating from their mentoring program. Our store managers gave us the inside scoop on the event – sharing on the importance of mentoring and what it means to them.
Meet Buckle Store Managers Tanner, Chelsea, Brittany, and Kristi, who volunteered at the TeamMates Graduation Ceremony on May 8th at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Neb.
What was the TeamMates event all about?
Brittany – TeamMates celebrated their graduating seniors who had a mentor positively influence their life. A day was planned where the mentors and mentees could spend time together at the zoo in Omaha. They held a ceremony to celebrate the mentees’ accomplishments.
DeMoine Adams, TeamMates Program Director, Motivational Speaker, former professional football player and defensive-end for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, gave the keynote speech at TeamMate’s Graduation Celebration.
What was your favorite part about volunteering and attending the event?
Chelsea – My favorite part was watching the mentee graduation ceremony. DeMoine’s speech was extremely motivating, and I could relate it to the difference we try to make with our teams at Buckle.
Kristi – I liked seeing how much fun everyone was having, and the respect each mentee had for their mentor. Seeing all the #BuckleBelieves drawstring bags was great too!
Brittany – My favorite part was being able to hand out the medals to all the graduating seniors during the ceremony. Being able to see how excited they were and listen to two of the students tell their story about how their mentor made a difference in their life was really inspiring.
Believe in Yourself drawstring bags were given to all mentees who attended the event. #BuckleBelieves
Has a mentor ever made a difference in your life?
Tanner – Having mentors pushed me in sports, work, and school. It made me be more successful than I would have been without a mentor.
Brittany – When I was in elementary school, I was a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters. My mentor came once a week to see me after school. She helped me with homework, played games with me, and just spent time with me during a very tough time in my life. She was one of the reasons I looked forward to going to school every Wednesday for 4 years. My mentor made such a huge impact in my life and I’m very grateful I had the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing program.
The crowd gathered in the pavilion to honor the mentees graduating from TeamMates’ mentoring program. Over 3,500 people attended the event at Omaha’s Zoo.
Mentors can make a huge difference in someone’s life. What does mentoring mean to you?
Kristi – One of my longtime guests, Lisa, has always shared the importance of mentoring and what it means to the kids. It allows for a positive influence, friendship, life guidance, and a chance for them to be a part of something bigger. Mentoring is important at all stages of life.
Tanner – Mentoring means helping and coaching someone to become the best version of themselves that they can be.
Chelsea – Mentoring means taking the time to provide guidance to another individual. To help them grow, mentally and physically, into a better person so they can meet their full potential.
As TeamMates reminds us, “Mentoring is making an investment in the future. By spending just one hour each week with a student and showing your interest in their life, you can increase the likelihood they will graduate from high school and become a contributing member of society. Mentors help identify the gifts and talents of young people that provide them a sense of hope and vision for their life.”
Thank you to our Buckle’s teammates who personally support this cause, and congratulations to TeamMates on another successful event and to the mentees who graduated from the program!
If you have a desire to make a difference in the life of a child by being a positive role model, we encourage you to find a mentoring program near you. Check out teammates.org or mentoring.org to find a youth mentoring organization in your city.
#BuckleBelieves
