For Bob, mentoring eighth‑grade boys at Olmsted is about more than helping students navigate middle school—it’s about helping them imagine who they can become. 

Bob cares deeply about his mentees’ social and emotional growth, but he also pays close attention to their hopes, interests, and questions about the future. During group time, conversations often move beyond the present moment and into what lies ahead. The boys talk about career paths they might want to pursue, the kinds of lives they hope to build, and even how emerging technology—like artificial intelligence—could shape jobs and opportunities in the years to come. 
These are big conversations for eighth graders. But Bob believes they matter. 

By inviting his mentees to think about their future now, Bob is showing them that their lives have direction and purpose. He listens to their ideas, challenges their assumptions, and encourages them to think critically—always grounding those conversations in care, consistency, and presence. 

This is what mentoring looks like at Hope Collaborative. 

Our mentors meet students where they are today—listening, encouraging, and walking alongside them through everyday challenges—while also helping them lift their eyes toward what’s possible tomorrow. By being present in a student’s life now, mentors like Bob help lay a foundation for confidence, resilience, and hope that extends far beyond the classroom. 

Through steady, relational mentoring, Hope Collaborative lives out its mission to empower young people through transformative mentoring that strengthens social and emotional learning, restores confidence, and guides them toward positive futures.