Mentor Me vital to Petaluma High grad’s success

It has been more than a decade since Lynn Camhi made a one-year commitment to assist a bright little girl identified for help through Mentor Me Petaluma.

That long-ago second-grader, Leslie Mejia, is now 18 and completing her first year at UC Berkeley, still in touch with her mentor and grateful for the enrichment and encouragement she received.

Her potential is so substantial that Camhi, 83, suspects Mejia could have made history in the White House, had she not been born outside the U.S.

“Unless Hillary makes it, I would expect her to be the first American woman president,” Camhi said. “She's really serious about her future and very honest.”

Although humble about her own contributions to Mejia’s success, Camhi is full of pride about the girl she mentored for 11 years and continues to encourage today.

“There never was a moment I thought of quitting with Leslie, and I don’t think she did either,” Camhi said.

Mejia graduated within the top 10 of her class last year at Petaluma High School, earning so many Advanced Placement credits that she qualified for sophomore status her first year at Cal. She works part-time on campus, takes a full load of classes and is active in a campus salsa group, all while maintaining a strong grade point average.

A focused and determined first-generation college student, Mejia credits Camhi with introducing her to a broader world, “always pushing me and pushing me in the best way possible,” she said.

Mejia emigrated with her parents from a tiny village outside of Mexico City when she was 2. “In Mexico we have a huge family, but we have a much smaller family here,” she said. “Lynn was someone I could see on a regular basis, and it was a good thing for me. I’m not ready to let go of that.”

Mejia was still learning English when she was matched for weekly sessions with the retired primary-grade teacher who was volunteering in Mejia’s McNear Elementary School classroom.

“She was very self-possessed and very curious and very avid about learning,” recalled Camhi. “She was always agreeable. No matter what I suggested, it was always fine with Leslie.”

Mentor Me Petaluma was a new program when the two were matched, launched in 2001 after state budget cuts reduced staffing for school counselors, slashing guidance and support services.

Parents, educators and community volunteers stepped in, determined to help students succeed. Today, Mentor Me Petaluma assists 250 students ages 5 to 17 who attend 16 local schools.

Mejia exemplifies the success of those early intervention efforts. Her parents spoke little English at the time she entered the program. Her mother was pregnant with the family’s second child, and Mejia already was a shining star in her classroom.

School staff recognized that Mejia’s strong academic promise would soar with some encouragement and enrichment.

At first it was board games, card games, checkers, art projects, math games or a bit of homework help, activities Mejia and Camhi shared for an hour each week during the school day.

“It was always on Tuesdays,” Mejia said. “I always looked forward to Tuesdays.”

Before long, the pair began taking field trips to broaden Mejia’s experiences. They visited the Exploratorium, museums, the San Francisco Zoo, nature preserves, the planetarium at Santa Rosa Junior College, the California Academy of Sciences and the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. They rode the ferry to San Francisco, saw concerts and plays and art shows and whatever else Camhi could discover.

“I think I did open a few doors, maybe, or a few windows,” said Camhi, a mother of three 50-something daughters and grandmother of two. “We just had a good time together.”

At one point, Mejia returned to Mexico for about nine months when her grandmother died. Uncertain whether Mejia would return, Mentor Me Petaluma paired her with a new student. When Mejia returned to Petaluma after third grade, she discovered that Camhi had a new student to mentor and joined them, becoming a trio. Camhi continues to mentor Antonio “Tony” Ocana, a sophomore at Petaluma High School.

“Tony is extremely polite. He’s a very gracious, very thoughtful young man,” Camhi said.

As Mejia matured during high school, her relationship with Camhi also deepened. They found themselves going to lunch, talking about books or discussing things that were happening in their lives. Mejia was fascinated to learn about Camhi’s life experiences as a young girl and teen.

“As I grew, it became more of a friendship,” Mejia said. “She has become a very valuable friend.”

Attending Mejia’s high school graduation was a highlight for Camhi. “It was a fitting finish for one aspect of her life,” she said.

Throughout the years, Mejia has a deeper understanding of the impact Camhi has made on her life and her academic career. Now a sustainable environmental design major, she calls Camhi a role model.

“She’s been a great inspiration and has really helped me persevere,” Mejia said. “She’s been really, really important for me and helped me understand my potential.”

Mejia says her parents also are grateful for Camhi’s has invested in their daughter, reminding her to reach out to Camhi, no matter how busy her life in Berkeley becomes.

“They know she’s a really important person in my life,” Mejia said. “They always remind me about Lynn.”

For more information, visit mentormepetaluma.org.