Some of our state’s and country’s most successful people were helped in getting to where they are because of a mentor. Mentoring is an excellent opportunity to help prepare younger generations to reach their full potential by building relationships and through sharing knowledge, skills and values.

Each January, we celebrate mentoring and the positive impact it has on our society during National Mentoring Month, a campaign to promote youth mentoring throughout the nation.

According to the National Mentoring Partnership organization, mentoring benefits our young people, and especially those who may be considered at-risk, because it virtually guarantees that they have someone who cares about them, who makes them feel valued and who is interested in their success.

The National Mentoring Partnership cites research that indicates mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on our young people in a variety of personal, academic and professional situations. For example, the organization says at-risk youth who have a mentor are 55 percent more likely to enroll in college, 78 percent more likely to volunteer regularly, 90 percent are interested in becoming a mentor, and 130 percent more likely to hold leadership positions.

There is no doubt that mentoring makes our state a better place and provides lasting positive effects on both mentees and mentors alike. If you are among those looking for ways to help others, especially our youth, I encourage you to consider becoming a mentor. Mentor Michigan, which is a service through the Michigan Community Service Commission, partners with hundreds of mentoring organizations throughout our state and helps match caring adults with young people in need of role models.

If you are interested or would like more information, please visit Michigan.gov/MentorMichigan. You can also find more information on mentoring at Mentoring.org.