MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie Junior Woman’s Club recently announced the October Mentor of the Month: Keri Gardner.

As a native Moultrie resident, Keri Gardner grew up in the Colquitt County School System. Seven years ago, while attending a job fair, Gardner stumbled on the opportunity to mentor and couldn’t pass it up.

Gardner started mentoring two boys in the third grade and has followed them from Cox Elementary to Willie J. WIlliams Middle School and C.A Gray Middle School. He has been with both of those students for all seven years.

Mentoring provides these students a safe outlet to talk about their lives, hopes and dreams. Looking back, Gardner spoke about how his boys were reserved and not very outgoing. Gardner is proud of their accomplishments and involvement in various clubs and sports because he believes his consistent positivity helped get them there.

When asked to offer words of encouragement to current  or future mentors Gardner said, “Be patient with the students. It will take time for them to adjust to you. They don’t know anything about you and you don’t know about them. Take baby steps to get to know each other and a good relationship will flourish.”

Gardner called for anyone considering to become mentors to get involved through the Moultrie YMCA’s program.

The YMCA mentoring program is a school-based mentoring program working with more than 200 volunteers from the community. To find out more about how you can become a mentor, contact Jan Barrow, mentoring director, at 985-1154 or jbarrow@moultrieymca.org.