Jeronima Sulugui, mentor to Starfish One by One students
Many powerful females have repeated quoted the importance of mentors. Mentors are there to guide, give advice, change your perspective and push you to succeed. And mentors aren’t just limited to the professional world; their influence can be useful in all aspects of life. This is why Starfish One by One, our partner school in Guatemala, has adopted the mentorship model to guide young women through their education.
Starfish mentors meet with their mentee group weekly and not only provide academic support, but also to encourage students to develop leadership skills. Mentors also equip students with life skills such as management of personal finances and social and environmental responsibility. The mentors ensure that each Starfish student receives a well-rounded education so that she is ready to lead her family and community.
As an added bonus, Starfish mentors are unique in that they come from the same community as their mentees, can understand the obstacles they face from their families and society, and are themselves shining examples of the power of education. We asked Jeronima, mentor to our very own Ana Teresa, to tell us what she thought the biggest obstacles to education for Mayan girls were. This is what she shared with us:
“Well, in most Mayan families there is the lack of economic resources to be able to send all their children to school. It’s not just the money that families have to pay for classes and materials, but it’s also the loss of income that the families would experience if their daughters studied instead of worked. Apart from the economic strain on families, a lot of parents don’t believe it is worth the investment to send their daughters to school. If it’s for their sons, yes, because they believe that the money he will earn in the future will most likely come back to the family, but if their daughter marries, the money she earns will most likely go to her husband’s family. Many Mayan people also lack experience in participating in groups or in educational settings, especially women, so it can be a bit intimidating for the girls to feel confident at school or really get involved.”
Jeronima continues to be a source of hope and an example in her community of how educating women can benefit families and communities. As a Starfish mentor, she helps girls face these obstacles and achieve their ultimate goal of getting an education.
Thank you, Jeronima! If only we could all be so fortunate to find such a great mentor.