Denton couple shares love of mentoring
When Paula, a freshman at South Davidson High School, walked into the school’s designated Communities In Schools meeting room one recent Thursday morning, she looked positively defeated.
“I froze up on my science test,” she told Rebecca Hoppensteadt, her mentor of nearly four years, who had immediately gotten to her feet to greet Paula and find out what was wrong.
While Paula explained how she had studied for hours the night before but to no avail when she discovered the questions on the test weren’t phrased in a way that made sense to her, Hoppensteadt listened carefully and offered kind words of encouragement.
“I have always had a heart for volunteering, especially with young people. I hope that I am able to help them be more successful in school and to make good decisions in life. If nothing else, I hope to just let them know they are special and that someone cares about them,” Hoppensteadt later said.
She and her husband, Alan, have dedicated a combined 15 years to serving children in need as mentors with Communities In Schools of Lexington/Davidson County. In that time, they’ve touched the lives of more than a few children, including the two boys and two girls they are each currently working with at SDHS.
“Many of these children do not have role models that have been somewhat successful. They often come from homes that do not place a high value on education,” said Alan Hoppensteadt, who added that he enjoys starting out with middle school students so that he has the opportunity to stay with them all the way through high school. “It’s all about the kids. For the most part the kids who want to get involved in CIS are looking for help so it’s a good opportunity to have a positive impact on a young person. I think your influence grows over the years as they hopefully see that what you tell them really works.”
Billy, a junior at SDHS, who started working with Hoppensteadt as an eighth grader, said he enjoys having someone to talk to who can help out with homework.
Alex, a sophomore who’s been with Hoppensteadt since the seventh grade, said his favorite part about having a mentor is hearing about all the things Hoppensteadt has done and seen in his life.
“I think all schools should have a CIS program because some kids don’t have a good support system and need a little extra push,” said Ali, a junior who has been with Rebecca Hoppensteadt for four years. “She keeps on to me about my grades and she helps me with my stress level too.”
A member of the allied health program at SDHS, Ali plans to enter a neonatal care program after graduating next year, but she hasn’t yet decided whether she’ll attend Western Carolina University or Liberty University.
“This is a great way to help a young person,” said Rebecca Hoppensteadt. “It does not have to take a lot of time but it does mean a lot to the kids to know that someone cares about them and wants them to do well.”