Mentoring Someone For An Hour Could Be The Best Part Of Your Week

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Edmund Lewis, the 27-year-old founder of the Detroit-based non-profit Minority Males for Higher Education, has a message: Being a mentor can make an extraordinary man out of anyone.

"I want men to know the reward they can get from spending a little time with young men and changing their lives," said Lewis. "If I just change one life, it makes a difference."

The two-year-old program aims to point high school-aged males toward college by providing mentorship and after-school programs, and connecting kids and their families to resources that make college an option. Through MMHE, Lewis makes a difference in Detroit, in the future of a generation of young men, and in his own life as well.

"Honestly, mentorship is a healing process for me," he said. "For someone who lacked mentorship growing up, and a positive relationship with my dad, this gives me a chance to heal by being an influence on someone else at an early age."

It Just Takes Heart

It wasn't easy for Lewis to come from such beginnings and go on to earn a degree with honors from North Carolina Central University and a master's degree from the University of Michigan. But an impressive resume is not necessary for mentorship. Because so many young men grow up without positive role models, being able to show an interest in them and express compassion is more important than feeling like a perfect mentor.

"What I'm learning is that everybody has doubts about this work," Lewis said. "These kids just need love from a man. Knowing the reward of just giving starts with your heart."

Small Investment, Amazing Returns

Because many professional men are busy, some don't believe they have time to squeeze in something else. Lewis tells them that being a great mentor doesn't mean taking on a second job. In fact, most men probably have the time in their schedules without even realizing it.

"I ask, 'Can you spare two 30-minute episodes of television, one day a week?' That's all it takes to influence a child," he said. "Let's make time for what's really important."

In most cases, spending that hour being a positive role model ends up being the highlight of the mentors' week. Lewis said some of the busiest bigwigs that he had to work the hardest to recruit have become some of his most enthusiastic volunteers.

"They realize this is important to them, and they want to put more time and energy into it," said Lewis. "It feels good to give back."

Start Anywhere

With about 100 kids in MMHE and a growing number of community partners, Lewis is making it easy for men in Detroit to become mentors. Not every city has mentorship organizations, but Lewis said that shouldn't stop anyone from getting involved. After all, when he started mentoring in college, there was no MMHE waiting for him.

"I just went to a local school and said 'I want to volunteer my time. What do you need from me?'" he said. "That's where anyone can start."

Lewis has built a career out of mentorship, so perhaps no one is a better witness to how working to improve the lives of others helps improve his own. Simply, he said, it makes him happier.

"There is a time in your life when you have to realize that it's not about you," said Lewis. "It's about what you can do for someone else."

What Lewis and his team of mentors are able to give to so many young men in Detroit will hopefully become something that those boys are able to give back to the next generation. And if personal satisfaction and happiness aren't reason enough to spend time and energy on mentorship, everyone can agree that a legacy of more nurtured, higher-achieving men is worth the investment.

- Written by Natalie Burg

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