Stepping into leadership through Junior Mentorship
When Eimee joined SOS Outreach in Park City, she thought it would simply be a fun way to learn how to snowboard and connect with other kids her age. While she wasn’t wrong, she quickly learned that being a part of SOS could lead to so much more.
After completing her first year in the Introductory Program, Eimee was ready for more. She returned the following season and joined SOS’ next step in its multi-year curriculum, the Mentor Program. Eimee was paired with an adult mentor and peer group who she would spend the entire year with. Together, they snowboarded all over Park City Mountain, shared what was going on in their lives, did skill-building workshops, and completed community service projects.
“Through my mentor, I learned how to safely take risks on the mountain and get out of my comfort zone. She made sure that we tried out something new whenever we were on the mountain like going to the park and hitting jumps or rails. But also, working together as a group and talking openly to each other in order to create a comfortable group environment.”
Eimee stayed in the Mentor Program for four years, taking on more responsibility each year and building confidence both on and off the mountain. This past summer, she joined SOS’ Career Development program – a unique opportunity that connects SOS participants with paid summer job placements across the outdoor industry. Eimee worked in the Product Sales & Service department at Park City Mountain Resort and put her communication skills to practice.
“Being in the SOS program and summer internship taught me valuable social skills by practicing networking with other individuals or organizations and practicing interview skills. Even though, I’m a shy person, I was able to get out of my comfort zone and pursue another local internship thanks to the preparations and social skill practices from my experience in SOS.”
Now heading into the 2023/24 season, Eimee is taking on yet another opportunity through SOS. This winter, Eimee will be in Park City’s first ever cohort of Junior Mentors. In the Junior Mentor Program, participants apply the skills and experiences they had in SOS while peer mentoring younger youth in SOS. These skills include leadership, relationship building, understanding and managing feelings, responsible decision making and social responsibility. Junior Mentors will also continue to gain life skills through exploring self-picked social/professional skills at Junior Mentor workshops. Similar to being a mentor, junior mentors participate in all on and off hill activities with their group: ride days, workshops andcommunity service projects.
Eimee is excited to mentor the next generation of SOS youth and provide the same positive experiences that her mentor gave to her.
“Personally, mentorship is important to me because of how it positively impacted my life”, says Eimee, “throughout the years of being in the SOS program I was able to learn from my mentors and about myself… As a junior mentor, I look forward to getting to know the people in my group and building a relationship with them so they can have an enjoyable experience as I had during my first year.”
Eimee will undoubtedly be challenged and thrive with this new opportunity and is looking forward to continuing her growth in SOS. As she reflects on her time in the program she shares,
“The most important thing that I’ve learned from my SOS experience is to take advantage of the connections and relationships you build in the program with mentors or other participants because being part of a crew can be impactful. The SOS program brings inclusivity and a large diverse group of people who may share the same experiences as you or bring in a different perspective that you can learn from.”
To learn more about Park City programs, visit sosoutreach.org/Park-City
