MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie Junior Woman’s Club recently announced the December Mentor of the Month: Tim Powers.

Powers was born in Monroe, Ga., in Walton County. After graduating from Auburn University, he moved to Macon and lived for 20 years. He moved to Moultrie 10 years ago.

Powers said Brooks Sheldon opened the door for him to join the Ameris team. Actually, in October of this year he assumed his new position at Ameris as the Market President, upon Ronny Marchant’s retirement.

Powers has had the privilege of mentoring several students and talks about how rewarding being a mentor can be.

“I think the most compelling reason of why I mentor is because I like to provide positive encouragement to kids,” he said. “Regardless of their circumstance, they can accomplish goals and dreams that they have in life. It doesn’t matter if it’s a technical or college degree. Each child can achieve their goals by planning or working towards those goals.”

Powers has been a mentor for the past seven years and is currently mentoring a fifth-grade student at Stringfellow Elementary. Powers said he hopes that his current mentee will allow him to follow with him onto Willie J., and hopefully even into the student’s high school years.

Powers explained how he has already witnessed improvements with his present mentee. He said each time he meets with the student that he is met with a positive greeting and the student is always happy to see him.

“It’s encouraging to me and I know he has a good heart,” Powers said. “Probably the most noticeable thing I can see now is that he thinks about and is more aware of how it’s better to be recognized for your good behavior, rather than your negative behavior.”

Powers mentioned one phrase he discusses with his mentee often: “Are you in control of your emotions or are your emotions controlling you?” Powers said he has seen growth and improvement with his mentee and notices that he is more aware of those self-controlling issues. The student seems to be more focused and challenged to think with each situation that he faces, instead of acting from emotions and not thinking beforehand, he said.

“Each mentee and our relationship is a work in progress,” Powers said. “I find it so rewarding. The biggest thing I encourage others about the program is to not be intimidated. You don’t have to be a teacher or the one who is taking all the responsibilities related to the child. You are just a trusted person that they know who cares.”

Powers stated that most of the time he and his mentee just end up talking. Sometimes they read together or work on a math assignment or school project, but most of the time they sit and talk with one another.

“They like to have someone to talk to and give them guidance in life. I am there to listen and not to judge,” Powers explained.

Powers has been married to his wife, Amy, for 28 years. They have two daughters, ages 14 and 16 years old. Their family attends Heritage Church.

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 in our community, contact Brandy James, Mentoring Director, at 229-985-1154 or bjames@moultrieymca.org.