Generational Change From Mentee to Mentor: Jaleah's Story

It was September 2005, and Jaleah was about to start first grade when she was matched with Alicia, her new mentor at Friends of the Children–Seattle. She didn’t attend the Back-to-School Fair that year—too overwhelmed—but Alicia showed up to her home later that week anyway, bringing her a backpack filled with school supplies, a small gesture that marked the beginning of their relationship neither of them would’ve guessed spanned over the next 20 years.

Coming from a chaotic household of 7 siblings, Jaleah quickly became comfortable with the one-on-one time she’d receive during outings, “Me and Alicia, we’d just talk nonstop,” Jaleah remembers, “We’d take road trips—those were my favorite—we’d get food, we’d hang out with the other kids, I just loved it.” For the 12+ year commitment Friends-Seattle had made to Jaleah, her mentor Alicia remained a steady presence, from aquarium visits and holiday parties to graduation day.

Things were also difficult for Jaleah, “Being 6 and knowing you’re poor is hard, I had anxiety around it," she mentions. Her mentor Alicia reminisces on how a large part of mentoring Jaleah was supporting her in overcoming the anxiety of ‘feeling like a burden’. Alicia helped her navigate that shame and fear—teaching her that the school supplies, the extra snacks, the meals—they were for her. That she was worthy of enjoying things without worry. “I know my family was deeply appreciative,” Jaleah says, “my mom was supportive throughout, and my family getting all the assistance they could meant a lot to us.”

As Jaleah got older, she discovered her calling: giving kids what she once needed. She volunteered as a tutor throughout high school, was a babysitter, and a camp counselor, pouring her heart into every role she took on. “I encourage the kids I work with to be happy, healthy, and silly,” Jaleah mentions, as she details how she remembers being anxious about heavy expectations she’d place on herself, “I want kids to know they don’t have to meet any giant expectation they feel the world places on them, I want to break that cycle of anxiety.”

At 19, teaching preschool affirmed her purpose. Even during the upheaval of the 2020 pandemic—when she spent time teaching in Hawaii before returning to Seattle—Jaleah’s commitment never wavered. Today, as a K-1 Instructional Assistant at John Muir Elementary, she carries forward the legacy of mentorship, nurturing the next generation with the same compassion that once transformed her life.

When remembering her time in the Friends-Seattle program, sitting beside Alicia, her mentor of now 20+ years, Jaleah reflects:

“There were so many things I never would’ve been able to do without this program. The program changed me in an insane way, my mentor was such a meaningful part of my childhood, to be who I am today...I really try not to think, but wonder, about all the things that could’ve happened if I had not had Friends in my life.” she ends, “They were the support outside of my family, always being there, and I knew they were proud of me always.”

For 25 years, Friends of the Children-Seattle has provided consistent, long-term mentorship support to youth like Jaleah. Her story is one of many made possible by supporters like you—investing in lasting, generational change.

Your gift today helps another young person know they are worthy, capable, and will never have to wonder ‘what could have been.’