Lead Mentor of the Year Award

Stephanie Jennis Awarded "Lead Mentor of the Year"

Every year Pathways considers a “Lead Mentor of theYear” Award.The award is probably one of the most difficult to earn and is not given unless one of Lead Mentors rises to the challenge. It has been given only four out of the seven years the program has been in existence. This year, it is with great honor that, Stephanie Jennis has been chosen to receive this prestigious award which includes both recognition and a $1,500 college scholarship that Pathways will give to her as she graduates in 2014.

The Lead Mentor program was created in 2004 to bring together the best minds of today’s youth and push them to tirelessly advocate for the special needs community.
Applicants go through an intense application and interview process, making
sure that only those with heart, drive, and commitment are admitted. The program is
not based on academic success. It is not based on resume building, grade point averages, or SAT scores either. Instead, the Lead Mentor program is about devotion to service and social change. The Lead Mentors seek to reach their goals not as individuals but as a team, as a team of youth committed to improving the future for everyone. Naturally, leadership is a pivotal aspect of this mission and each year Pathways considers granting the Lead Mentor of the Year Award to someone who went above and beyond the call of duty. This year, it is my great honor to announce that this award is given to Stephanie Jennis. Stephanie has been a mentor for what
seems like eternities. Since Pathways’ humble beginnings, Stephanie has been
surrounded by programs, mentors, and children, and she quickly adopted Pathways
into her family and heart. Her spirit, patience, and energy keeps the kids moving
and motivated without ever sacrificing their respect and admiration for her. Every child that has ever worked with Stephanie leaves with a feeling of importance
and empowerment; she befriends each child she works with.

The relationship Stephanie has built with the team of Lead Mentors is also commendable. In just the sixth grade, Stephanie was commanding the team to new
heights. Her dedication to the Lead Mentor program can be measured in her successes. She designed and conceptualized this years “Include ME!” assemblies, gathered, filmed, and downloaded movies for all of the presentations, and gave up every lunch period to sell t-shirts at the high school. Her work for this years walk was
rewarded with a proclamation by Mayor Jim Sandham, declaring May 21 as “Montville Include ME! Day.” The sheer resilience and determination Stephanie has demonstrated helped propel the Lead Mentors to holding their most successful walkathon yet.

Having known, and worked with, Stephanie for years now I feel I can adequately attest to her character. In a world of people who are self-centered, narrow-minded,
and lacking true dedication, Stephanie has a heart of gold. Hearing that I will be
working with Stephanie is always accompanied by a sigh of relief because I know
she will make sure the job gets done right, gets done quickly, and gets done with
spunk. For example, the night before the first “Include ME!” walk-a-thon, back in
2009, Stephanie and I stayed up running around doing last minute errands. It was
late, we were both tired, and there was still so much to do. Instead of calling it quits, or starting to rush through our work, Stephanie and I started fooling around with the
megaphone as we worked, making jokes about bejeweling it with crystals and using
it as a motivator to get everything finished. Her fun, optimistic approach to work kept
me going, and I will never be able to look at a megaphone without cracking a huge
smile. To keep things simple, there is no one I’d rather see this award passed down to than Stephanie. As a daughter, sister, mentor, and friend Stephanie has proven to be top notch. On behalf of the Lead Mentors and all of the Pathways community, I’d like to thank and congratulate Stephanie Jennis with the 2011 Lead Mentor of the Year Award.
- Rusty Van Riper
Lead Mentor of The Award 2009& 2010
Summer Intern 2011

Youth Service America Recognizes Stephanie Jennis