The Impact of Mentorship: One Military Family’s Journey to Hope and Healing

When Sam first entered Mentors Care, he was carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders. As the only son in a military family, Sam was used to the upheavals that came with his dad’s deployments. But his father’s most recent, a 12-month tour with the Texas Army National Guard during Sam’s junior year, hit harder than ever before.

Sam’s mother, Lorie, understood her son was struggling. As a special education teacher at her district’s alternative learning school, she saw firsthand the challenges many young people faced, especially those with unique family circumstances. She recognized that her son needed more than she alone could offer. That’s when she thought of Mentors Care and encouraged him to try the program.

For Sam, joining Mentors Care meant opening up to a stranger—a leap that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with. But he respected his mother’s request and agreed to try it for six weeks. That’s when he met Adam, a mentor who brought the steady presence Sam needed during a difficult time.

Adam didn’t force big conversations or ask Sam to talk about things he wasn’t ready to share. Instead, he met Sam on common ground. Some weeks, they played Uno and ate Skittles, and other weeks, they simply talked about life, school, or college plans. As time went on, Adam became more than just a mentor; he became a friend and a confidant. Sam soon found himself looking forward to their weekly meetings—something that became a beacon of light in his senior year, which had started with a hefty case of “senioritis.”

At home, Sam’s mother and siblings noticed a change. Although he was still wrestling with the usual challenges of school, Sam had one consistent element: he never missed a Wednesday with Adam. Even on tough days when he felt like giving up or skipping classes, he showed up for those mentoring sessions. It was clear that Adam’s influence had created a positive shift in his outlook.

Meanwhile, Lorie saw Mentors Care’s impact on more than just her son. Working with students who had faced setbacks, she saw that those with mentors tended to show up, whether they were at their home school or the alternative campus. She witnessed students who felt lost finding their way back through the stability and encouragement mentors provided.

Then came a moment that confirmed for Lorie just how much Sam had gained from the program. In the spring of his senior year, he called her at work to tell her he’d been working on college applications with Adam—and that he’d decided on a major. For Lorie, this was a turning point. Here was her son, independently making strides toward his future, feeling confident enough to plan for what came next. Adam had given him the guidance and trust he needed to take those steps, and Sam felt empowered to navigate his next chapter.

After graduation, Adam and his wife came by the family’s home to celebrate with Sam. As they shared stories and laughter, Lorie realized just how much Adam had been a lifeline during her son’s hardest year. Adam had seen the real Sam—the smart, resilient, fun-loving young man who hadn’t let hardship stop him from dreaming big. For Sam, Adam’s influence went far beyond the small tokens of mentorship; he had become a role model and a friend.

Today, Sam is ready to tackle college with a renewed sense of purpose. And for Lorie, the experience has deepened her passion for Mentors Care. As an educator and a mother, she knows the importance of mentors who are willing to show up for kids, no matter what. Mentors Care had provided that vital connection, and she’d seen its value not only in her son’s life but in countless others at her school.