Tony Marin is a Mentor for the John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation

SHREWSBURY, Mass. — Tony Marin, of Shrewsbury, has volunteered as a mentor for the John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation (JAMMF), a publicly funded, nonprofit organization that operates the Mazie Mentoring Program and is dedicated to positively impacting the lives of teens who are at-risk of not realizing their full potential.

Founded in 1998, the unique goal-oriented scholarship award giving mentoring program pairs high school sophomores, recommended by school officials, with adult mentors who can help them thrive. The program continues through high school graduation. Mentors are all volunteers who motivate students to work toward a better future while empowering them to have trusting relationships with adults.

Marin was matched with Rafael Mendoza, a sophomore at Framingham High School. For the next five semesters, the duo will work together to fulfill two community service requirements, set academic and career-oriented goals for the students, and research the college application process. They will meet an average of eight hours each month to participate in Mazie sponsored and individual activities that will expose them to new social, cultural and educational experiences.

Mentors of the program help students to improve their academic standing, graduate from high school, prepare for college, and experience earned success. In turn, mentors are often inspired by their mentees and find volunteering for the Mazie Mentoring Program to be a rewarding experience.

In response to anonymous annual evaluation surveys, mentees state that as a result of their mentoring relationship:

“I have learned to never give up on my goals. My relationship has really changed me. I feel more confident about myself.”

“I have learned to take school more seriously, and to make sure that I take the right steps toward going to college.”

“I have learned that I do have a future and I should work hard to achieve my goals. “

Each year, JAMMF accepts a total of 60 Framingham and Waltham High School students into the program. Seventy-five percent of the mentee population is of Hispanic, Portuguese-speaking, Brazilian, Haitian or African-American heritages. Sixty-seven percent qualify for free or reduced-fee lunches.

In the last 17 years, the Mazie Mentoring Program has helped more than 650 young people go on to lead more fulfilled and successful lives. More than 90 percent of Mazie mentees graduate from high school and more than 75 percent go on to college or other post-secondary training programs.

Applications for new mentors are always being accepted. For more information, to donate or to become a mentor, visit www.mazie.org or contact Lowell Mazie, Executive Director at lmazie@mazie.org.

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