Julien Guttman began mentoring with Community of Hope in September 2012. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, she is currently in her second year of graduate school at George Washington University. She decided to become a mentor because she wanted to connect with the DC community and spend time making a difference in a person’s life.
Julien describes her mentoring relationship as a challenge in the beginning for both her and her mentee. Her mentee was hard to get in contact with and very shy at first. However, over time things have gotten easier. Now they talk a lot about school and reading. Eventually, Julien hopes to engage her mentee in meaningful discussions beyond classroom learning.
In 2013 Julien wants to continue to focus on her mentee’s academics as this is an area that Julien believes she can excel in. Julien hopes that this focus will open up many new doors for her mentee that she did not know existed. As this relationship evolves, Julien is determined to be there to assist with any problems or challenges. Julien believes mentoring is a serious commitment, because she knows research demonstrates the importance and the impact that it can have on young adults and children.
