To Celebrate National Mentorship Month, Mayor Bruce Harrell, Angela Rye Honor the Potential of Youth

On Saturday, Jan. 11, Seattle Mentors, a mayoral initiative, hosted "Igniting Your Potential: A Celebration of National Mentorship Month" at Rainier Arts Center. Free to the community, the event included keynote speeches by Mayor Bruce Harrell and TV personality Angela Rye, plus youth performances, refreshments, and more. 

Seattle Mentors is designed for BIPOC youth, ages 13 to 18. The program promotes impactful mentorship, social and emotional health, and career exposure opportunities, where youth connect with one or more caring adults. The program also follows a "learn and earn" model, providing stipends to mentees to encourage participation and offer financial support.

Romell Witherspoon, director of mentorship, says "Igniting Your Potential" was the program's first inspirational speaking event. "I think everyone has potential, but there's also potential in the graveyard, too, but if it's not ignited, it will never fire off. So the whole point of it is not to just be about potential, but to ignite it. And so that, in and of itself, is a natural celebration," he said.

The program is a mayoral initiative managed by Seattle Parks and Recreation and other collaborators, like MENTOR Washington, a public–private partnership founded in 2004, supporting over 150 organizations in championing youth through promoting youth development, academic success, and career readiness. MENTOR Washington is part of a national organization named MENTOR.

Representatives from MENTOR Washington, on behalf of MENTOR National, presented Harrell with a certification of recognition that read, "Mayor Bruce Harrell as Mayor for Mentoring." Prior to receiving his award, Harrell shared an inspirational message. 

"I would hope at the end of the day, whether it's fame or wealth or friendship, I hope that you realize you have a divine purpose. You are special," he said. "There's something in you that someone's going to mentor, [Seattle Mentors] is going to pull out of you, and you have to be willing to receive it. That was my life story when I grew up."

Rye shared a similar sentiment when reflecting on her upbringing in Seattle. She said Seattle Mentors reminded her of the necessary youth-centered outlets she had growing up. Rye, the daughter of local community organizer and radio host Eddie Rye Jr., regards her parents as her first mentors. 

"One of the greatest things that I've seen my dad do is show young people that their voices matter," she said. "He is a true elder. He imparts wisdom, he creates opportunity, he shares the stage."

Similarly, Witherspoon, under the leadership of Harrell, is building a sociocultural infrastructure that is multigenerational, educational, and legacy-oriented through Seattle Mentors. Since onboarding as director of mentorship in late 2022, Witherspoon has worked to create reciprocal opportunities to provide and receive services. 

One example of his own mentoring efforts is Deprince Charles, who joined Seattle Mentors over a year ago. He performed on Saturday, as his passion for music has been welcomed in the program. Charles described Seattle Mentors as intentional and reliable, recalling how they helped him record a music video the same day he mentioned his passion for music. Seattle Mentors has not only connected him with inspiring individuals but also guided his journey of self-discovery.

"I feel like this program really helped me find myself, especially in difficult times. Just being able to talk to a person like Romell or any of the other mentors that we have, I definitely feel like it's pointing my life in a positive direction," Charles said. 

While Seattle Mentors is city-focused, Witherspoon hopes it will inspire other communities statewide to adopt similar mentorship models. He believes the best way to approach mentorship is through the lens of service.