A Guide Mentoring services has the power to bring positive change through friendship, support but even more

so through practicing the 40 developmental assets. David and Saul, both from Modesto, Ca, have started this process. Saul is a middle school student who has experienced different difficulties in school due to his ADHD condition. Both mentor and mentee come from similar family backgrounds and the absence of a paternal figure. David, 25, became involved with Catholic Charities-Diocese of Stockton Mentoring Program through a bulletin announcement he encountered at his local parish. After being involved with his community and seeing the challenges and struggles children experience, he applied to become a mentor. As David reflected on his own childhood, and the challenges he faced as a teenager growing up without his parents, who he lost through a car accident and illness at a young age, he realized the influence his god-mother had in him. She instilled in him determination, independence and love which to him helped him make a positive impact in his life. Saul, 12, was referred to the mentoring program through his participation in a tutoring program. Saul is the older of two siblings; his father was deported a few years ago. He lives in a neighborhood where drugs, gangs and criminal activity are around the corner. Saul has experienced behavioral problems at school aside from is lack of concentration. Sauls needs more structure in his life and a guide according to his mother. Saul will benefit from having a mentor to look up too and help him with his behavior. Saul and David have recently started their relationship and besides seeing each other regularly, David has worked on exposing Saul to different extracurricular and educational activities. Both of them have explored different educational venues through trips to the local College and Universities. David believes in the importance of giving children the chance to discover their gifts and talents to help them realize their potential. David has realized that without addressing the needs of Sauls family, he could only make a small impact on his life. David continues to work on building rapport with Saul along with trust in their relationship to help Saul verbalized his feeling rather than experiencing them through misbehaving. David and Saul have shared this experience has been unique and life changing.